Patriots Predicted To Draft 'Active' DT In Second Round To Strengthen Trenches

Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter

Patriots Predicted To Draft 'Active' DT In Second Round To Strengthen Trenches originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up on Thursday night, and the New England Patriots made a strong move to strengthen their offensive line by selecting Utah's offensive tackle Caleb Lomu with the 28th pick.

Now that New England has completed its offensive set of trenches, it might be time to consider strengthening the defensive trenches. ESPN's Matt Miller identified a potential player that the Patriots could target with their second-round pick.

Miller mocked Texas Tech's defensive tackle Lee Hunter to the Patriots with pick No. 63.

"It's a trenches draft for the Patriots so far with Caleb Lomu in Round 1 and now Hunter," Miller wrote on Friday. "He's an active defensive tackle with nose guard experience but has the tools to move around the line."

Hunter played four seasons of college football, starting at UCF for three years before transferring to Texas Tech for his final season. Over the course of 52 games, he recorded a total of 172 combined tackles, 32 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his college career.

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