Before February's combine, it seemed impossible that Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter would have dropped all the way to the Jacksonville Jaguars' first projected selection at No. 56.
It's no longer crazy.
Hunter was an absolute star in the pre-draft process, from a dominant Orange Bowl with 2 tackles for loss to a Senior Bowl effort where he was one of the very best prospects in attendance.
Then, the combine showed undraftable sort of traits for a man his size. It was a very bizarre reality considering the tape study that happened before Indianapolis.
This begs the question: Should James Gladstone look past these red flags and look toward Hunter for defensive tackle help?
Lee Hunter NFL Draft Profile and Combine Measurements
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 318 pounds
Arm Length: 33.3"
Hand Span: 9.3"
40-Yard Dash: 5.18
10-Yard Split: 1.79
Vertical Jump: 21.5"
Broad Jump: 8.3"
3-Cone Drill: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
First of all, it was great to see Lee Hunter participate so heavily in the combine after he made the statement he did in Mobile. His personality made an imprint, too.
You may not think combine testing matters for a defensive tackle whose job is to chew up blocks in space, but it's actually one of the most critical positions in the entire NFL. The 40-yard dash and jumps indicate a certain lower-body explosiveness and general athleticism that show up time and time again in Pro Bowl-level players.
That's Hunter's key problem. His times running were below-average considering, at 318 pounds, he's just not the biggest nose tackle to ever grace the combine.
The metrics indicating truly poor potential were his jumps, which placed him in the 29th percentile or lower for both the vertical and broad leaps. If his camp had known they would be that low, he would not have attempted them.
All of a sudden, Hunter went from a late first-round prospect right on par with Kayden McDonald to a second-round pick -- and sliding.
Lee Hunter NFL Draft Tape Evaluation: Strengths, and Weaknesses
Strengths:Â Leverage at the point of attack, side-to-side block shedding, forward drive, and instinctiveness hunting the ball carrier.
Weaknesses:Â Pass rush ability, recovery from the first block, and desire to beat double teams
The most shocking part of Hunter's combine workouts was that it was the opposite of what you see on tape.
In general, Hunter seems like a monstrous force. That usually comes from the lower half at his position, but his strength comes from a massive wingspan and extremely strong upper body, which allows him to use his hands and instincts to shed blocks laterally and disrupt the backfield.
Compared to most interior Big 12 linemen, Hunter just has an innate feel for the position. That's a plus and a concern all in one. In combination with poor jumps and runs, it does seem like he's a top-heavy rusher that has issues -- at times -- with conditioning and motor to continue to pursue the play if he's stacked up at the line of scrimmage.
His tape is better than McDonald's, but the translation aspect is scarier because he wins so often with the top half of his body. The floor here is like a larger Poona Ford as a rotational defensive tackle, but I do think he's got the character and work ethic to add mass to his lower half and develop into a perennial starter.
Hunter is the 25th overall player in my top 100, so I don't want to make it sound like I don't love him. The jumps just terrify me because of how much of an outlier he'd become from a testing perspective.
Lee Hunter's Fit with the Jacksonville Jaguars
As teams in the top half of the second round debate between a caliber of players that could have been first-round picks themselves in this draft class, this would be an easy choice for the Jaguars at their key position of need.
I mentioned a trade-up situation for Kayden McDonald earlier this week, but I'd rather get Hunter at No. 56 if forced to choose between the two. I still think that situation is unlikely because of how dominant the nose tackle's tape was -- especially in key moments like the Orange Bowl. Plus, the combine metrics don't really justify giving up any draft capital to get him.
Hunter would immediately command attention and double teams for a defense that didn't have a ton of impact from its defensive tackles a year ago. You really can't argue with the value if the draft happens to shake out that way.
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