The Carolina Panthers Drafted a Sleeper Pick for Rookie of the Year

The Carolina Panthers have the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year in Tetairoa McMillan. They haven't had a Defensive Rookie of the Year since Luke Kuechly in 2012. One could argue Jeremy Chinn was snubbed in 2020, but that's a different story.

This year, the Panthers spent four of their seven selections on the defensive side of the ball. None of them immediately scream Rookie of the Year contender, but there is one sleeper pick that could surprise the NFL.

Lee Hunter could win DROY for the Panthers

Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter (DL15) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When we say sleeper, we really mean sleeper. The last interior defensive lineman to win the award was Aaron Donald in 2014. The position went back-to-back starting in 2013 with Sheldon Richardson, too.

The award heavily favors the stats that interior linemen just don't rack up. In 2025, Carson Schwesinger won partly because he had 156 combined tackles. Jared Verse (4.5 sacks) and Will Anderson (7.0 sacks) won because of their sack numbers in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Before that, Sauce Gardner's 20 pass breakups and two interceptions won him the award. Micah Parsons, Chase Young, and Nick Bosa won it the three years before that, and you can imagine why.

Put simply, if there's a position that has it hardest to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, it's definitely interior defensive lineman. Lee Hunter will essentially have to have a Donald-esque year, and while that is probably not likely, he could benefit from a good situation and wreak enough havoc to win the award.

Hunter will also need ideal circumstances like Tetairoa McMillan did last year. In the absence of a decent QB or a dominant running back, McMillan's solid but not mindblowing seasonal statistics won him the award. If Hunter can do that and the cards fall right, he could win.

He will benefit from having Derrick Brown opposite him. If the interior of the offensive line is focused on anyone, it won't be Hunter. The rookie will also have Nic Scourton and Jaelan Phillips on the line with him, potentially attracting double teams that open lanes.

In fact, Hunter's the least likely member of the defensive line, save for maybe Tershawn Wharton, to get double-teamed. That could leave him with one-on-one opportunities, and if he can make the most of them, it could pay dividends in the award race.

National Team defensive tackle Lee Hunter (10) of Texas Tech practices during National Senior Bowl | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

He's a substantial long shot, but that's why it's a sleeper pick. Hunter faces an extraordinary uphill battle and won't even be considered a legitimate candidate when the season begins, but if all goes right, he could have a chance.

If Lee takes advantage of those situations and records three sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and five pass breakups (or something like that), he could end up with a strong case for Rookie of the Year.

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