Lee Hunter is the NFL's Most Underrated Rookie

Lee Hunter might be the most overlooked rookie on Carolina’s defense, mostly because the things he does best rarely show up in a box score. The Panthers traded up to No. 49 to grab him, and the logic was obvious: Texas Tech finished first in the nation in run defense last year, partly thanks to Hunter, while Carolina ranked an underwhelming 20th against the run the season before. His college résumé backs it up. He led all FBS interior defenders in run-defense stops and tackles for loss or no gain over his final two seasons at UCF.

At 6-foot-3 and 318 pounds, he’s the kind of nose tackle who can absorb double-teams without giving much ground while still being quick enough to split blockers and slip blocks, and that skill set translated immediately. Pro Bowl guard Robert Hunt, who saw him up close all offseason, said Hunter plays the run better than he’s seen a rookie do in a long time. Hunter isn’t racking up sacks or highlight plays, but every lane he clogs and every double-team he eats frees up Derrick Brown and the linebackers to make the tackles that get the credit. That’s the definition of underrated: a rookie doing a veteran’s dirty work, and doing it at a high level.