CHARLOTTE — The Panthers made another big addition to defense, and it took a deal.
They traded up to the 49th overall pick Friday night, so they could take Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter.
To get there, they gave up the 51st and 159th overall picks to Minnesota in exchange for the 49th and 196th.
A massive run-stopper, Hunter adds to the mix on the defensive front, where the Panthers added Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III in free agency last year.
The 23-year-old Hunter has shown some flashes as an interior rusher for a player his size.
6-3, 318-pound nose tackle helps fill the absence of veteran A’Shawn Robinson, who was released this offseason and signed with the Buccaneers.