After a disappointing 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars made it their priority to upgrade the defense last year. Sure, head coach Liam Coen's forte was on offense, but that's why he brought in the best possible candidate to oversee the defense. He ended up choosing Anthony Campanile.
Under Campanile, the Jacksonville defense went from one of the worst to one of the top 10 in the span of a year. On top of that, he got the most out of players such as linebacker Devin Lloyd, cornerback Montaric Brown, and safety Antonio Johnson.
What makes Campanile's success in 2025 even more impressive is that he had a handful of foundational pieces in place but lacked star power at a handful of positions. One of them was defensive tackle, which has turned into one of the team's biggest needs this offseason. A couple of NFL analysts just came up with a suggestion to address the issue.
The Jaguars land Lee Hunter in The Athletic's 2-round NFL mock draft
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman did a two-round NFL Mock Draft and had the Jaguars taking Lee Hunter (they don't have a first-round pick), noting that he's an athletic defensive tackle with pass-rush capabilities. Here's the skinny.
"A 6-3, 330-pound cannonball, Hunter is an athletic, disruptive force who moves very well for his size," Baumgarder and Dochterman wrote. "In addition to being a pass-rush threat, Hunter once made 41 run stops in a season (2023) from his nose tackle spot."
A four-star recruit out of high school, Hunter committed to Auburn in 2021 and transferred to UCF the following year. He would then play at Texas Tech in 2025. Last year, he posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 80.5, registering 25 total tackles, two sacks, and 25 total pressures.
Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report scouting department gives the former Knight a Round 2 grade, comparing him to NFL defensive tackles Tyleik Williams, Calijah Kancey, and Travis Jones.
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The Jaguars are being linked to Lee Hunter to bolster the defensive line
This isn't the first time Lee Hunter has been mocked to the Jaguars. Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus also had him landing in Jacksonville at No. 56, pointing out that the former Red Raider would bolster their interior pass rush. Clearly, a pattern is emerging, and the Jags probably won't oppose. After all, he would check off a massive box.
Defensive tackle is among Jacksonville's glaring needs this offseason. Aside from Arik Armstead, they don't have many viable options at the position, and there's a chance he could be a cap casualty.
Sure, DaVon Hamilton is in the mix, but he's more of a run stuffer and doesn't offer much pass rush. Maason Smith is also around, but he's coming off a disappointing season. The Jaguars clearly need upgrades. Compounding the issue is that they're cap-strapped, so even if they free up space, they probably bring in reinforcements in free agency.
That leaves the draft as the most likely path for the Jaguars to bolster the interior defensive line. That's why nobody will bat an eye if Lee Hunter ends up being the pick in Round 2.