NFL draft picks Lee Hunter, Sam Hecht set to rekindle Senior Bowl practice intensity at Panthers rookie minicamp

Hunter's Senior Bowl performance likely helped prompt Panthers general manager Dan Morgan to trade up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft and select the 6-foot-3, 320-pounder with the No. 49 selection. Morgan envisions lining up the rookie run-stopper next to his NFL idol, Derrick Brown, and Tershawn Wharton/Bobby Brown II in the 3-4 base defense.

As he concluded his introductory teleconference call with members of the media on April 24, Hunter was asked about his attitude coming in as a first-year professional.

"They came and got me," he said. "They showed love and interest.

"I'm ready to run through a f------ brick wall for them."

On Friday, one of those walls could be Hecht, a fifth-round draft choice who some league insiders suggested could develop into one of the draft's shrewdest picks.

Competing in 759 plays last season, Hecht allowed zero sacks and quarterback hits and did not have one penalty marked off against him.

This week's NFL rookie minicamp officially kicks off the Panthers' offseason training activities, and the on-field battles between Hunter and Hecht could start a series of ongoing highlights.