The Panthers officially have their entire 2026 draft class under contract. Second-round defensive tackle Lee Hunter signed his four-year rookie deal on Friday, the team announced.
Because the forty ninth overall pick, Hunter’s arrangement is price roughly $10.07MM. There’s likely a major amount of guaranteed money within the pact. Falcons cornerback Avieon Terrell, who went one pick before Hunter, received a completely guaranteed accord. The fiftieth selection, Jets corner D’Angelo Ponds, landed $8.95MM in guarantees on a $9.84MM agreement.
Originally set to pick out 51st overall, the Panthers moved up two spots in a trade with the Vikings to secure Hunter. The 6-foot-3, 318-pounder got here off the board early on the heels of a productive four-year college profession divided between UCF and Texas Tech.
Hunter broke out in 2023, his second season at UCF, where he piled up 69 tackles, 11 TFL and three sacks in 13 games. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024, a 12-game, 45-tackle campaign, after which transferred to Texas Tech. In his lone season as a Red Raider, Hunter notched 41 tackles, 10.5 TFL and a pair of.5 sacks in 14 contests. Along with picking up a first-team All-Big 12 nod, he was a first-team All-American.
Thanks partially to Hunter, Texas Tech finished first within the nation in run defense last 12 months. That’s an area where the Panthers will hope to enhance in 2026, as they ranked an underwhelming twentieth against opposing ground attacks last season. They now have Hunter as a run-stuffing option on a Derrick Brown-led D-line that also features Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton.
Together with Hunter, the Panthers added six other rookies within the draft. Here’s a refresher on the group:
- Round 1, No. 19: Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
- Round 2, No. 49 (from Vikings): Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
- Round 3, No. 83: Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee)
- Round 4, No. 129 (from Bears): Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M)
- Round 5, No. 144 (from Titans via Panthers): Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State)
- Round 5, No. 151 (from Dolphins): Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
- Round 7, No. 227 (from Dolphins): Jackson Kuwatch (LB, Miami (OH)