Mock drafts are obviously very popular this time of year, what with the 2026 NFL Draft now just a mere month away. But as a large portion of these mocks only look at the 32 selections in the opening round, the Green Bay Packers aren't included. And the reason for that, of course, is that they sent their first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in the trade that brought Micah Parsons to Titletown last August.
Thankfully, not everyone sticks to the one-round model, as ESPN's Field Yates recently dropped a two-rounder. And for the Packers, who make the first of their seven selections of the '26 draft in Round 2 at No. 52 overall, Yates has them taking Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter.
"There will be some elements of a 3-4 scheme in Green Bay under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon," Yates wrote, "which is where Hunter can fit as a nose tackle. Hunter had some uneven stretches of play and just 7.5 sacks in four seasons, but he has intriguing upside and finished his collegiate career with a standout performance against Oregon in the CFP."
This may not be an overly popular choice among Cheeseheads, as most are seemingly hoping that the Packers prioritize the cornerback and edge rusher positions early on. But Green Bay does need help on the defensive interior, and they could certainly do worse than Hunter.
Lee Hunter could conceivably start for the Packers as a rookie
Is Hunter the best interior defender in this draft? No, he's not. But there's a reason he was named a First-Team All-American, as he's a very solid prospect.
As Yates mentioned, the Alabama native isn't the strongest pass rusher at this point, as he doesn't have the greatest get-off move in those situations and definitely isn't the most athletic player at his position.
That said, however, Hunter is absolutely fantastic against the run. While he may have only tallied 7.5 sacks during his collegiate career, he racked up 32 tackles for loss, and his PFF 82.7 run-defense grade ranked 46th among 887 qualifying interior defenders this past year.
At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Hunter takes up a lot of space up front, and he'd undoubtedly be an asset on first and second down. And given how the Packers' depth chart looks after these first two weeks of free agency, he could conceivably come in and start immediately in Gannon's 3-4 setup alongside new addition Javon Hargrave and Devonte Wyatt.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.