The Cincinnati Bengals have the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 23rd. That’s where the focus is.
However, the other picks in the other rounds matter just as much.
In that case, the Bengals met with Texas Tech star interior defensive lineman Lee Hunter on Saturday. On a Red Raiders defense with David Bailey and Jacob Rodriguez, Hunter may get overlooked. But he can make an impact up front, and that’s what the Bengals need on defense.
Hunter had 32 tackles for loss in four seasons of college football. He played his first three seasons with Central Florida before transferring to Texas Tech for his final season in 2025. Twice, Hunter eclipsed double-digit tackles for loss in a season, including in 2025 with 10.5.
Named a First-Team All-American by The Athletic in 2025, Hunter had 20 tackles for loss as a Senior in high school in 2020. Ranked No. 5 among defensive linemen in Dane Brugler’s “The Beast,” Hunter is nicknamed “The Fridge” and was a Consensus Second-Team All-American. Here is Brugler’s overall statement on Hunter:
Overall, Hunter doesn’t have the pass-rush skill set to consistently impact the quarterback, but he is instinctive as a run defender and has heavy hands to make stops at the line of scrimmage. He projects as a scheme-diverse, two-gapping nose.
Brugler gave Hunter a 2nd-3rd round grade.
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