Falcons take Texas Tech DL Lee Hunter in ESPN mock draft

If the Atlanta Falcons don't take a defensive lineman at No. 48 overall next week, it will come as a big surprise to most of the mock draft community.

While there have been occasional exceptions, the vast majority of mocks throughout draft season have connected Atlanta with an iDL pick at that spot - and with one week to go that trend isn't slowing down.

In his final mock draft for 2026, ESPN's original NFL draft guru Mel Kiper has the Falcons taking Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter. Here's Kiper making his case for why Hunter fits.

"Atlanta might use the first of its five selections at receiver, perhaps with Georgia's Zachariah Branch It could also bring in Avieon Terrell to not only shore up the cornerback room but also team him up with his older brother, A.J. Terrell Jr. But Atlanta gave up 4.6 yards per rush last season, 25th in the league, so the interior defensive line is an issue worth examining. Hunter had a ridiculous 52 run stops and 33.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons and could be an answer."

A run-stuffing nose tackle is pretty far from the sexiest pick a team can make with their first pick, but necessity comes first when you have a need like Atlanta does for more meat up front defensively.

One drawback is Hunter's poor athletic scoring, including a 5.18 forty-yard dash time and a 3.72 RAS score overall, putting him on the lower end at his position.

Nose tackles don't have to be athletic freaks, though. Hunter's plainly-evident power and ability to swallow up the run will make him a popular prospect on draft night. Recent reports link him to meetings with the Packers, Giants, Bengals, Bucs and the Bills.

According to the consensus big board, Hunter is the fifth-best interior DL prospect in this class and right now he's , right in Atlanta's wheelhouse at No. 49 overall.