A mauler from the Red Raiders' dominant defensive line is driving his NFL Draft stock up with a standout first practice at the Senior Bowl.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are very likely to see a quartet of defensive lineman from the historic 2025 team be picked in the upcoming NFL Draft later this summer.
One of them is improving his stock tremendously as the Senior Bowl gets underway this week in Mobile, Alabama.
Lee Hunter, the impenetrable defensive tackle from Texas Tech, was circled by Essentially Sports as a standout performer at the showcase's first practice on Tuesday.
"He’s a powerful yet athletic 320-pound interior defensive lineman who consistently pushed blockers off the line, collapsed the pocket, and held his ground during two-on-one drills," Pauline noted.
"Yet Hunter also moves well around the field and quickly changes direction, gets down the line of scrimmage, and covers area laterally. He also plays with a great pad level and gets leverage on opponents, which enables him to hold the point. Entering the season graded as a last-round pick by scouts, Hunter is cementing himself as a Day 2 selection."
Other scouts in attendance say Hunter is one of the most intriguing prospects at the event, and not just for his can't-miss size.
Hunter is arguably one of the best run-stopping interior linemen in this year's class, and Texas Tech's dominance in the Big 12 is proof of that in action.
The Red Raiders allowed just 68.1 rush yards per game, over 50 less than the next-best team (BYU giving up 122.7 rush yards).
Hunter, who played one year in Lubbock after transferring from UCF, recorded 42 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
He anchored a unit that led the conference in sacks, fumbles forced, and fumbles recovered. Overall, Texas Tech was one of the best scoring defenses in the country at just 11.8 opponent points per game.
Joining Hunter on the D-line is the nation's sack leader David Bailey, fellow edge rusher Romello Height and tackle Skylar Gill-Howard as potential draftees. Star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and leading receiver Caleb Douglass have also declared for the 2026 Draft and are participating in the Senior Bowl this week.
Bailey is expected to be a top-10 pick overall, but after this stellar start to a week of showcasing his skills, Hunter could join him in the first round.