Panthers GM Dan Morgan explains why he traded up 2 spots for DL Lee Hunter

TL;DR

Panthers GM Dan Morgan traded up from Pick No. 51 to No. 49 to select DL Lee Hunter from Texas Tech. He emphasized the importance of securing their target before the draft board thinned out.

Key points

Dan Morgan traded up from Pick No. 51 to No. 49
The Panthers selected Lee Hunter from Texas Tech
Morgan emphasized the need to secure their target before the board thinned out

Mentioned in this story

Carolina Panthers

Lee HunterDan MorganNFL Draft

It wouldn't be an NFL draft without a second-round pounce by Dan Morgan.

For the third straight year as Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager, Morgan traded up the board on Day 2 of the selection process. This time, he made a small jump from Pick No. 51 to Pick No. 49—where he secured Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter.

Morgan, during his presser following the completion of the third round, was asked why he made the move.

"The board was kinda thinning out at the time," he replied. "We just felt like, hey, this is like the last guy we kinda had in the higher rounds. And we just felt like, hey, let's go get our guy instead of kinda settling for somebody else. We were all convicted on him—not just as a player, but as a person."

That player was a first-team All-American in 2025, where he notched 41 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks. Hunter projects as a nose tackle in Carolina's 3-4 front, and can help patch up a run defense that will be without 2024 and 2025 starter A'Shawn Robinson.

To lock in Hunter, the Panthers sent the 51st and 159th overall picks to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the 49th and 296th. That leaves them with one fourth-rounder, one fifth-rounder and two sixth-rounders for the third and final day of the draft.

Morgan has now traded up for four of his six Day 2 selections over the last three years. He also had the Panthers leap for running back Jonathon Brooks in 2024 and pass rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen in 2025.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL Draft: Panthers GM explains why he traded up for DL Lee Hunter

Q&A

Why did the Panthers trade up to select Lee Hunter?

The Panthers traded up to secure Lee Hunter because they believed he was the last top prospect available and wanted to avoid settling for another player.

What position does Lee Hunter play for the Panthers?

Lee Hunter plays as a defensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers.

How many times has Dan Morgan traded up during the NFL draft?

Dan Morgan has traded up during the NFL draft for three consecutive years as the Panthers' GM.