Few prospects embraced the cameras and spotlight more at the NFL Combine than Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter. His personality is as big as his production on the field in college.
The Green Bay Packers enter this draft without a first-round pick because of the Micah Parsons trade. Hunter is projected to be a late first- or early second-round pick.
Would general manager Brian Gutekunst attempt a trade-up to land Hunter in Green Bay?
The Packers are staring down the barrel of a defensive front that has traded Colby Wooden and Rashan Gary this offseason, while also watching Kingsley Enagbare depart in free agency to land with the New York Jets.
Lee Hunter isn’t an edge rusher. Still, in the bigger picture, Green Bay needs depth and plug-and-play options on the defensive line.
Hunter is a defensive tackle, and the Packers like what they have in Devonte Wyatt. The problem is that Wyatt has had significant injuries that cost him chunks of the season each of the last two years. Green Bay picked up his fifth-year option last offseason, but there’s no guarantee Wyatt is with the Packers past 2026.
With Wooden out of the picture, the Packers are left with Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and unproven options in Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse.
Green Bay doesn’t have a choice this offseason; they have to add to the defensive line. If the Packers had their first-round pick, you can bet Hunter would be a primary target. Because they don’t, landing Hunter would take some maneuvering around the draft.
Gutekunst has traded up in the draft many times before. In fact, Gutekunst has traded up in the first round four times (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023). The headliner was trading up in 2020 to draft quarterback Jordan Love.
Navigating into the first round or early in the second round without having a first-round pick would be tricky but not impossible. Keep in mind that in 2022, Gutekunst traded picks No. 53 and 59 to move up to No. 34 to select wide receiver Christian Watson. So, it’s not impossible.
Hunter has the type of play that would warrant trying to take a big swing, and he was tremendous against the run in college. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder laid it out well.
Hunter is built like a true NFL nose tackle. Hunter is hard to move with one-on-one blocks and holds his gap when he keeps his pads down against double-teams, solid at absorbing contact against the run. He recognizes down blocks, shifting his eyes and hands to hold ground and avoid getting washed inside. Hunter presents several ways to escape blocks, with the strength to stack-and-shed, while also showing hump and arm-over moves to catch offensive linemen leaning.
However, he could use some improvement in the pass-rushing department. That’s something Hunter recognizes and doesn’t shy away from.
Like we used to always say, “It’s a race to the quarterback.” So I say 100% of my pass rush should also improve, and just by the guys that’s on the side of me too. Because those guys get to the quarterback, and I want to get to the quarterback with y’all, so I’m going to do extra, extra, extra to make sure I meet y’all at the quarterback.
He thrives against the opposing run game. With a nickname like “The Fridge,” it’s a part of the game Hunter embraces fully.
My game is probably stopping the run. Taking up two people and two-gapping. I really take pride in it. I work hard with it on a day-to-day basis. Just hitting the sleds, I’m going against great offensive linemen at Texas Tech daily. So, I’m getting coached up really well by my coaches, and just enjoying the process, putting in the extra work, and just trusting the plan that they had for me in Lubbock.
Hunter’s broad frame and ability to clog the middle of the line, blended with his infectious personality, will be a welcome sight for any organization. In an offseason where the Packers are losing bodies left and right on the defensive front, prioritizing that group in the draft will be a must.
The question that will be bounced around if there’s genuine interest in Hunter is how big a bite out of the apple is Green Bay willing to take to try and move up? Secondly, how far would Hunter have to fall for the Packers to pick up the phone and try to make it happen?
Wherever he lands, Hunter projects to be an immediate plug-and-play type of prospect.
The odds of Hunter slipping to pick No. 52 — Green Bay’s first selection in April’s draft — feel incredibly unlikely. He’d fit like a glove with the Packers, but it would take some major stones to part ways with more picks to move up and snag Hunter.
Is Lee Hunter worth that?
We’ll see.