Panthers rookie earns rave reviews as injuries pile up before training camp
Carolina Panthers rookie Lee Hunter won’t get much time to catch his breath during his first summer in Charlotte.
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The second-round pick’s position room has been marred by injury entering his first NFL training camp. General Manager Dan Morgan announced Wednesday that the team placed defensive end Turk Wharton (neck) on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and defensive tackle Bobby Brown (hamstring) on the non-football injury (NFI) list ahead of Thursday’s practice.
Morgan didn’t offer a return timeline for Brown or Wharton, but he did offer a scouting report of the rookie who will replace at least one of them in the lineup during the upcoming gauntlet of practices.
“A lot of good feedback,” Morgan said. “Just talking to some of our starting (offensive) linemen that went against him, obviously we’re not in pads during OTAs and minicamp and stuff like that, but definitely got a lot of good feedback on how strong he is, how physical he is.”
“He’s quick off the ball,” Morgan added. “He’s quicker than you’d think. He’s more mobile than you’d think. So, a lot of good feedback and another young rookie that we’re excited about. Looking forward to seeing him compete out there.”
Hunter, who finished his college career at Texas Tech, was the 49th overall pick in April. His selection was made when Wharton and Brown were expected to start in the trenches.
Similar to first-round pick Monroe Freeling, Hunter’s selection has a sense of serendipity this summer with injuries piling up for veterans in his room.
Hunter has also made a good first impression on his tenured teammates, as the defensive lineman flashed throughout the offseason program.
“He’s willing to work hard, willing to learn and that’s all you can ask for from him,” defensive end Derrick Brown said.
Hunter will be tested on the opposite side of the ball throughout the summer. He will face two Pro Bowl-caliber guards in Rob Hunt and Damien Lewis. He will also go against veterans like center Luke Fortner and left tackle Rasheed Walker when the line gets shuffled around.
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Hunt got an early scouting opportunity in OTAs. He came away impressed with Hunter.
“He’s very stout,” Hunt said. “He plays the run really, really well, especially for a guy that hasn’t played at this level. He doesn’t look like a rookie to me. And OTAs, obviously we didn’t have the pads on, but you could still tell without pads — I think so anyway. I think he plays the run really, really well; better than I’ve probably seen in a rookie in a long time.”
The Panthers placed right tackle Taylor Moton (blood clot) on the NFI list this week. Morgan acknowledged longtime left tackle Ickey Ekwonu (knee), as expected, will begin the summer on the PUP list. Both are expected to miss a portion of the regular season, as well.
Morgan said the Panthers plan to use Walker, a free-agent addition, at left tackle. Freeling, the 18th overall pick in April, will slot into right tackle.
“I think we’ll be covered there,” Morgan said. “We feel good about it. I know (Moton) will definitely support Monroe there at right tackle and teach him all he knows. We feel good about it.”
Freeling — who spent the bulk of his Georgia career on the blind side — will need to get used to playing next Hunt on the right side of the line. Morgan is confident the athletic lineman is up to the task.
“I know what Monroe is made of,” Morgan said. “He’s a competitor. He’s super smart. He’s going to go out there, he’s going to attack this thing. We have full confidence in him.”
Along with Walker, a career left tackle, and Freeling, the Panthers also have versatile lineman Brady Christensen and Stone Forsythe to provide support behind the first-team tackles.
Christensen can play all five spots on the line, while Forsythe started 13 games at left tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders last year.
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