The 27-year-old signed last offseason in free agency after five years with the Chiefs. He missed eight games last year with injuries.
Canales said that drafting Hunter happened well before anything was known about Wharton's condition, and that he was among the young players who would need to step up, along with 2025 fifth-round draft pick Cam Jackson.
"It's very important now, just depending on what the timeline looks like," Canales said. "And I don't have specific dates right now, but to get big young bodies into the program is always a good thing, with Monroe (Freeling, their first round pick), and then with Lee, right off the bat with the first two picks, quality players who we expect to be in the mix to compete to help our team. It was, philosophically speaking, the best available, absolutely. And then when these big, physical, violent players come along, we were really excited to be able to add those guys.
"And now in a different way, Lee, Cam Jackson, these guys that we've brought into our program are going to really need to step up for the guys in different roles."