Panthers GM Dan Morgan explains why he traded up 2 spots for DL Lee Hunter

It wouldn't be an NFL draft without a second-round pounce by Dan Morgan. For the third straight year as Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager, Morgan traded up the board on Day 2 of the selection process. This time, he made a small jump from Pick No.

51 to Pick No. 49—where he secured Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter. Morgan, during his presser following the completion of the third round, was asked why he made the move.

"The board was kinda thinning out at the time," he replied. "We just felt like, hey, this is like the last guy we kinda had in the higher rounds. And we just felt like, hey, let's go get our guy instead of kinda settling for somebody else.

We were all convicted on him—not just as a player, but as a person. " That player was a first-team All-American in 2025, where he notched 41 combined tackles and 2. 5 sacks.