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With the 49th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers by way of the Minnesota
Vikings select Lee Hunter, the defensive tackle from Texas Tech.
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I'm Tnitra Batista, and I'm joined now by Julian Council from Lockdown Panthers, and
first of all Julian, let's talk about the actual trade with the Panthers.
Of course, move up, get the 49th pick.
They also have 196 Vikings received 51 and 159.
So what do you think about that move?
Don't have a problem with that at all.
Panthers actually now, as we're doing this recording, own both of the Vikings,
5th round picks as the other one, pick 158, actually comes from the trade where Adam
Thielin went back home to Minnesota back early in last season, actually before the season
So now they have both of the Vikings, 5th rounders, this draft, and then getting 196,
getting another 6th round pick, me whatever, I'm not really expecting that player to turn
out to be much anyway.
So this is the third straight year that Dan Morgan in the second round has gone up and
gotten this guy, Jonathan Brooks, two years ago, last year getting an X-Gorton Brooks.
We have not really seen playing Carolina because of two torn ACLs.
Next Gorton though, he was huge for them last year, having to play a ton of snaps as
they're rookie at that edge rusher spot.
And my expectation is that Lee Hunter is going to play a lot of football for the Panthers,
this upcoming season.
So I like their aggressiveness and that they've done this not once but twice, now three
times in these drafts in the second round.
Yeah, you get in Hunter, a second team, all American, nice presence in the middle of
But what is it that you like the most about this pick?
I like the idea of building into trenches and it's not surprising if you listen closely
to what Dan Morgan had to say.
I know there's Panther fans out there that wanted a linebacker, wanted Jacob Rodriguez,
had one in my invention saying how the Panthers were messing up.
It's like, well, here's the thing, guys, the reason why Jacob Rodriguez had the kind of
season he had last year is, yes, one, he's a really good football player.
But also Texas, Texas spent a lot of money on a guy in David Bailey went second overall.
They also spent a ton of money in the portal on Lee Hunter.
The guys in the trenches doing the dirty work and allowing the Jacob Rodriguez to be able
to make the kind of game changing plays he made last season for the Red Raider.
So I like the idea of building into trenches.
Dan Morgan said they're going to do that as long as he's a general manager and president
football operations here in Carolina.
And they did that last out Monroe Freelink.
They're doing that again tonight with Lee Hunter.
And if you think about just they have Derek Brown, but other guys like Terri Gorton, Bobby
Brown, the third, they're not going to be long term players.
Lee Hunter now can be a long term player and can be that starter next to their Brown.
So I'm never going to complain about the Panthers looking at the trenches and trying to be as
strong as they can be in that area of their team.
That you think when you look at the fact that he can be an impact player, what do you think
Hunter needs to work on the areas of development for him so that he'll truly be ready week one?
Yeah, I mean, he's a space eater.
He's going to be able to stop the run and that's something that really took Wharton.
And it's been a lot of money on last year, really struggled to do.
And Bobby Brown, that's something that he does.
So being able to have that space eater is nice.
He's not going to ever be a great pass rusher.
I think the only concern you're going to have is going to be conditioning, but he did spend
this past year in West Texas.
And he was in school down in Florida.
So he's been in that kind of heat.
I think he'll be all right in Carolina and that's going to really come on the offseason and him
being a professional, making sure his body is taken care of.
So that would be, I suppose, the only concern, but I don't think there's much concern about
taking him there with the 49th pick.
And if that's the only concern in you and I know that also being in the South, then that's not
a big problem for the Panthers to have.
We'll appreciate you Julian.
And for more on the Carolina Panthers subscribe to lock down Panthers wherever you get your podcasts.
