Carolina Panthers’ trade up for second-round DT Lee Hunter is about to cost the team a lot more than a few draft picks
The NFL has had an issue the last few years regarding second-round draft pick contract negotiations and it’s something the Carolina Panthers will be right in the middle of with new defensive tackle Lee Hunter.
The Carolina Panthers are thrilled about the addition of rookie defensive tackle Lee Hunter and what he can bring to the defense in 2026. So much so, that general manager Dan Morgan traded up to select him with the 49th overall pick.
The massive defensive tackle will be a perfect pairing alongside Derrick Brown on the interior of Carolina’s defensive front for years to come, erasing all problems about the future of that position.
There is, however, one problem that the Panthers will soon have to deal with regarding Hunter as it relates to his rookie contract negotiations.
Carolina Panthers will be faced with a tough situation regarding Lee Hunters’ rookie contract
Second-round draft picks have been pushing for fully guaranteed contracts the last few years, with eight players winning that battle last offseason against their respective teams. The ones that didn’t receive fully guaranteed deals still received a higher percentage of guarantees compared to the previous selection the year before.
Every year, more and more second-round picks fight for fully guaranteed rookie deals, similar to what first-round selections receive. The avalanche finally stopped last offseason with New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, the 40th overall pick.
If the push continues past the 40th overall pick this year, and it likely will, the Panthers could be faced with a tough, and possibly even historic, negotiation process regarding Hunter’s rookie deal.
The 49th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. His deal included nearly 80 percent in guaranteed money and it was the first time in NFL history that the 49th pick received guarantees in the fourth year. Hunter will be wanting to follow a similar blueprint and even go beyond 80 percent in guarantees.
Last offseason, Panthers’ second-round pick Nic Scourton was the 51st overall pick and had 77 percent of his contract guaranteed. He didn’t sign his deal until July 19, so this is going to be a long process that stretches out all summer and close to training camp.
There’s no end in sight for this trend. We’ll see how the contracts start to fall, but there’s a shot Hunter’s contract will be pretty close to fully guaranteed once it’s signed.