Fresh off the 2025 NFC South title, the Carolina Panthers are entering the 2026 NFL season with high expectations. 

As Dave Canales has turned this thing around, the Panthers are looking to build on the success of last season. That could be another NFC South title but also a playoff win attached to that. 

All eyes will be on the Panthers in the NFC South as well as quarterback Bryce Young and his future. But for Canales, the hope for the 2026 NFL Draft class they have is also high as they believe they have added key players to fill some needs that they had this offseason.

One of those players is now earning some preseason recognition by CBS Sports which is predicting the All-Rookie team early on. 

As rookie minicamps across the league have wrapped up, Mike Renner of CBS Sports wrote on his very early All-Rookie team for the 2026 season. He went position-by-position making his picks and while the list was dominated by Cleveland and the New York Jets, the Panthers did have a representative on that list. 

And that was Lee Hunter.

Renner had Hunter and Houston Texans rookie Kayden McDonald listed as his two defensive tackles on the list. Here is what he had to say about the duo:

The common thread here is their work in the run game, where it's often easier for defensive tackles to transition quickly to the NFL. Kayden McDonald was the best run-defending nose tackle in college football last year, while Lee Hunter has been the best playmaking defensive tackle in college football over the past three seasons.

The Panthers took Hunter in the second round of the draft in hopes of beefing up their interior defensive line. He gets the chance to learn from Bobby Brown and contribute right away.

The former Texas Tech star has all the makings of being a good run stuffer while creating some pressures in the backfield. He showcased that numerous times in his career with the Red Raiders. 

Now let's hope that Hunter can show that right away in his NFL career.