Lee Hunter Selection By Panthers Spells Doom for Bobby Brown III

Bobby Brown III won't be seeing the field as much in 2026 with Lee Hunter entering the building

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter (DL15) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers trade up two spots with the Minnesota Vikings to draft Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter with the 49th pick in the NFL Draft, one of the better inside defensive linemen left in this draft class, and a smart choice for the Panthers since A’Shawn Robinson was released and departed Carolina.

As far as how Lee fits into this roster, hes going to play a lot, and it could be a bad sign for Bobby Brown III. Brown is entering his sixth year in the NFL, second with the Panthers, and like a lot of the defensive line from last season, Brown had an underwhelming season, only recording 13 solo tackles and 0.5 sacks on the season. 

In Hunter’s final season at Texas Tech, he recorded 2.5 sacks and 16 solo tackles with 11 tackles for loss. While the number of sacks isn’t astonishing, Hunter did create 25 pressures in 2025 and finished the season with an 80.5 PFF grade, which was top 40 in the country. 

Hunter was named a third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Big 12.

Why This is Bad News For Bobby Brown III 

Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (97) on the field in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Its not like Brown came to Carolina and all of a sudden had a bad year, he’s just been mediocre his entire career, and the Panthers now find a cheaper, younger, and more explosive defensive tackle that will make the Panthers edge rushers lives easier in getting sacks. 

Bobby Brown III hasn’t had one season in his career where he recorded more than half a sack.  Brown also had his lowest solo tackle season in three years in 2025. This move to draft Lee Hunter is clearly going to result in Brown spending a lot more time on the sideline in 2026. 

Why Lee Hunter Was the Right Pick

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

Lee Hunter is a monster nose tackle, weighing around 330 pounds and with a 6’9 “wingspan. Hunter is going to give offensive linemen fits by using his long wingspan to win the leverage battle in the trenches and cause chaos, whether it’s him getting the sack or one of the edge rushers.

Adding Hunter will especially help against the run, which the Panthers did struggle in defending last season. Hunter will surprise Centers and guards with his quickness for his size, and cause of it will become a much-needed improvement for the Panthers.

The Panthers chose to part ways with A’Shawn Robinson, so they had to find a replacement in this draft and couldn’t solely rely on Bobby Brown III. Lee Hunter brings both short-term help and long-term stability to the interior.