When Luke Kuechly speaks about Carolina Panthers football, the NFL world listens. And on the latest episode of his podcast JJ and Luke, the legendary linebacker—joined by longtime Panthers long snapper JJ Jansen—broke down the team's 2026 NFL Draft class with the kind of insight only a franchise icon can provide.
At the center of the discussion was second-round pick Lee Hunter, a 6-foot-3, 318-pound defensive lineman out of Texas Tech. Kuechly, ever the student of the game, immediately drew comparisons to a pivotal moment in Panthers history. "The guys on Texas Tech—[David] Bailey the edge rusher and Jacob Rodriguez—those guys would not have the success they did without having a really good inside guy," Kuechly explained. "And my second year in Carolina, we drafted Star Lotulelei in the first round and Kawann Short in the second round. Thomas Davis and I... our linebacker coach, Al Holcomb, said, 'Hey, you two better walk into Dave Gettleman's office and say thank you.'"
That 2013 season was a defining one for Kuechly. With Lotulelei and Short anchoring the defensive line, he went on to capture the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. The Panthers' defense allowed the second-fewest yards per game in the league (301.3), racked up an NFL-best 60 sacks, and powered the team to an NFC South title. It's the kind of domino effect that turns good defenses into great ones.
Now, the Panthers are hoping Hunter can play a similar role for the next generation. A first-team All-American in 2025, the big-bodied lineman recorded 26 pressures and 25 stops, showing the kind of disruptive interior presence that makes life easier for everyone behind him. If he can replicate even a fraction of what Lotulelei and Short brought to the table, linebackers like Devin Lloyd and Trevin Wallace may one day find themselves echoing Kuechly's words—and thanking general manager Dan Morgan for the gift.
For more of Kuechly's thoughts on Hunter and first-round pick Monroe Freeling, the full podcast episode is well worth a listen. And for Panthers fans, it's a reminder that the right draft picks don't just fill roster spots—they build legacies.