What Texas Tech's Lee Hunter Would Bring to the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into the offseason with expectations of a new-look roster in 2026. Despite finishing the year 13-4 as winners of the AFC South, the Jaguars are over the salary cap and possess no first-round selection after trading up for Travis Hunter in last year's NFL Draft.

There will be regression, and players will be let go to create more money for spending on free agency targets to grow the roster. That means first and second-year players in the program will have to step up in a big way to help continue success in Duval County. One of those potential rookies is a standout defensive tackle from Texas Tech, who tormented opposing run games, Lee Hunter, one of the standouts from the Senior Bowl a week ago.

Overview of Hunter

Hunter Jags — Texas Tech's Lee Hunter runs to the sideline after making a tackle against BYU during the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A native of Mobile, Alabama, home to the Senior Bowl, Hunter was a four-star recruit out of high school. He committed to play for the Auburn Tigers, but redshirted his freshman season, transferring to Orlando to play for the UCF Knights, where he spent the next three seasons.

Last year, Hunter transferred again to join forces with the Red Raiders to form a valiant defense that was amongst the best in the country alongside top pass rush tandem David Bailey and Romello Height. Hunter was the massive force in the middle of the defensive line that destroyed run games and collapsed pockets, becoming a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 in his redshirt senior season.

Strengths of Hunter

#RedRaiders NT Lee Hunter is so powerful. He has a real chance of being an impact starting nose at the next level. When you are 6060u, 330u with brute power, heavy hands, and block recognition, it translates.

One of my favorite players in this draft class. pic.twitter.com/fm0F41kmD8
— Jared Feinberg (@Jared_NFLDraft) February 6, 2026

There is a reason why Hunter stood out at the Senior Bowl. He is built like a tank in the upper-half of his frame, standing at an unofficial 6-foot-6, 330 pounds with awesome brute power and incredibly heavy hands to bring knockback ability at the point of attack. He's a high-level take-on nose tackle, who can be a total concrete wall against solo blocks or duo, utilizing his power capacity to uncap and penetrate the double teams for backfield penetration in the run game.

Hunter's football IQ stands out when it comes to block recognition and gap integrity, offering an excellent stack-shed technique and the occasional hump or arm-over moves against blockers who over-extend the point of attack. When he gets his pads low, Hunter can drive his legs with total momentum and collapse the pocket from the interior, giving off a level of value as a pass rusher. Hunter's motor runs hot, and he has shown the ability to make plays in the backfield off effort alone.

Weaknesses of Hunter

Because of his stature, Hunter is naturally going to struggle playing with proper pad level and leverage, along with adequate knee bend. When that happens, his chest can get exposed, and balance at the point could be lost. This is not a top-tier athlete, though sufficient in his own right, and has had moments of coming off the ball late, likely due to not timing up the snap as well enough.

Hunter doesn't have high-end quickness in line games, and it shouldn't be recommended as a usage for him in a few scenarios. His aggression will cause him to get upfield too quickly and provide opportunities for running backs to cutback from their track.

What Hunter could bring to the Jaguars

Hunter projects as an immediate contributor at nose tackle with the chance to be a long-term stalwart in the role in a couple of seasons. What he brings to the table will be valuable for any NFL defensive line, such as raw power at the point of attack, heavy hands with knockback ability, active hands in the run game and as a pass rusher, and penetration skills to affect both phases.

In Jacksonville, Hunter would likely be the successor to Jaguars veteran DaVon Hamilton in the same role. It would also give defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile another stout run defender to add to his No. 1 run defense in football this past season. Hunter would be a menace early on with consistent split doubles and penetration from the zero-technique to three-technique.

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