lee hunter
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Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter.
With the Las Vegas Raiders switching to a 3-4 defense, they need a big nose tackle to clog the middle. They drafted JJ Pegues last season, who could fill that role, but the team should add another big defensive tackle.
The Raiders’ first-round pick is expected to be used on a quarterback, but their second-round pick could go toward defense. In Jordan Reid’s latest two-round mock draft for ESPN, he projected Las Vegas to select Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter with the No. 36 pick.
“The Raiders are switching to a 3-4 defense next season and need a centerpiece on their front,” Reid wrote. “Hunter is a massive presence in the middle (6-foot-4, 318 pounds) and a player you can build a culture around.”
At 318 pounds, Hunter is a great player to put in the middle of the defensive line. As a senior at Texas Tech last season, Hunter made 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Hunter Doesn’t Boast Elite Athletic Traits
Hunter has the size and production to warrant a possible first-round pick, but his lack of athleticism might limit his upside. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave some insight into Hunter in his scouting report of the Texas Tech star.
“Hunter is a two-gapping nose tackle for odd or even fronts,” Zierlein wrote. “He has the size, strength and length to do battle in the heart of the trenches but requires better block take-on technique to sit firmer in his grass. He won’t win in the gaps, but he can stack and shed single blocks or slide and stabilize his run fit against zone blocks. Hunter’s girth and length are advantages when aligning over the center as a run defender. He doesn’t have enough quickness or skill as a rusher to see many passing downs, but he can dent the pocket with his power. Hunter projects as an early down space-eater who can make interior offensive linemen work for their gaps.”
Raiders Still Expected to Take Fernando Mendoza
Now that the NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up, the Raiders don’t appear to have moved off of taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. He didn’t throw at the Combine, but he did have a chance to interview with the team.
The Raiders need a quarterback, and Mendoza is the only one worth taking with the top pick. In Reid’s mock draft, he still believes that the Raiders are taking the Indiana quarterback.
“The Raiders haven’t drafted a QB in the first round since 2007 (JaMarcus Russell), but you can write this pick down with a marker,” Reid wrote. “It would be a stunner if Las Vegas elected not to draft Mendoza. The clear top QB in this year’s class has a combination of accuracy, resiliency and decision-making — exactly what the Raiders need under center. Adding Mendoza to third-year tight end Brock Bowers and second-year running back Ashton Jeanty gives new head coach Klint Kubiak a promising offensive trio to build around.”
Mendoza still has several more weeks to prove to the Raiders he’s the guy, but so far, he hasn’t done anything to scare them off.