Lions UDFA Profile: LB Erick Hunter

As the NFL Draft wound down, Detroit chose to spend its final selection on DL Tyre West after taking fellow defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard the round prior. However, the Lions did not elect to double up on the linebacker spot, where Jimmy Rolder came off the board.

As a result, the Lions turned to undrafted free agency, where they brought in an intriguing prospect from the FCS, the lower subdivision of college football. They turned to decorated two-time FCS All-American linebacker Erick Hunter.

The FCS saw its total number of draftees be cut in half this year, with only seven hearing their name called after 15 names were in 2025.

The transfer portal era has ushered in a funnel effect, where the top talent goes to get more pay, leaving some small schools in the dust. Some players, like Hunter, stayed loyal to their program, but it came at the cost of exposure.

Here is what there is to know about the underrated and under-touted linebacker.

What Erick Hunter Brings to Table

Hunter is extremely athletic, running a 4.45 at his Pro Day and recording a 37-inch vertical leap. He is an instinctive player, and a self-described film junkie. Those are all traits that bode well for him in standing out once it is time to put on pads for summer camp.

He put up insane numbers in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during his time at Morgan State. In his senior campaign, he finished with 102 tackles, 14 of them for loss, and four sacks. For good measure, on special teams, he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown, too.

He brings special teams experience and a high level of production in the FCS to the table. Hunter was the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year twice during his time in the “Orange and Blue.”

Hunter has drawn comparisons to Demario Davis, and watches film on Fred Warner. In the Lions’ system, he could be called upon to replace Grant Stuard’s role as the primary special teams linebacker.

On the roster, Hunter will be competing with Joe Bachie, Damone Clark and Trevor Nowaske for a spot. Between those four players, there is likely room for two of them, at most, on the 53-man roster.

This is under the assumption that Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and fourth-round selection Jimmy Rolder are roster “locks.”

Last year, six players made the 53-man roster at linebacker, along with Rodriguez being on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Scouting Report on Hunter

As an FCS player, it is hard to get a general scouting report on a player like this.

However, he is a player big on film preparation, with Hunter citing living off campus and spending hours in the film room during the school season as a natural routine for him.

He is a player used to playing on special teams, and has been receptive to conversations about where best to play him, from the WILL role to some conversations about playing MIKE.

His production is well-documented, and his instincts and athleticism make him an extremely intriguing player, with the linebacker being listed in the top 40 at his position by Dane Brugler in “The Beast” and as a top-five FCS player in this draft class by some outlets.

However, he does have a lot of room to grow. His pass-rush arsenal and block-shedding both need work, despite his production at the lower levels. Naturally, there is some concern about him going straight from the FCS level to the NFL.

His missed tackle rate is a tad high, with his 9.7% rate being much higher than Rolder’s, with the Michigan man sitting at a 4.7% missed tackle rate last season.

There are concerns about Hunter's coverage ability, too. Statistically, Hunter had the worst season in coverage of his career last season, allowing an adjusted passer rating of 97.1 and over 300 yards as the primary player covering a pass-catcher.

The Maryland native will need to bulk up, checking in at 224 pounds at 6-foot-2. That is nearly 15 pounds lighter than Rolder, who is nearly the same height.

Additionally, Hunter missed nearly all of 2024 with an injury, only playing 33 snaps on the season.

Instant Impact Score: 45. Hunter is a raw and potentially positionless player with a lot of athleticism. There is a path for Hunter to impress and make the team as a special teamer to buy time to grow into a role on the defense. There is a Grant Stuard-shaped hole on this roster, and Erick Hunter can fill it. He could also serve as a practice-squad player that gets a chance to be called up to the roster during the season.

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