A lot of talk has surrounded who the Chicago Bears should draft in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but what about the later rounds? Well, Chicago could benefit from adding a center to develop for a year under Garrett Bradbury, who’s essentially on a one-year, $5.7 million deal after being traded from the New England Patriots, and Kansas State center Sam Hecht could be that guy.
In fact, ESPN’s Jordan Reid brought up a debate on who is the first center that’s going to be drafted this year, to which Trevor Sikkema of the NFL Stock Exchange replied with, “Sam Hecht Hive.”
Reid’s response? “Love him to the Bears in Round 3. Perfect fit.”
ESPN Analyst Pinpoints Center Sam Hecht as the ‘Perfect Fit’ for Bears in Round 3 Ahead of NFL Draft
GettySam Hecht of the Kansas State Wildcats participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Bears have been doing their homework on Hecht, who would excel in the same offensive system that Ben Johnson uses in Chicago.
“I’m told the #Bears had a large contingent of scouts/coaches at the Kansas State pro day on Tuesday with a focus on center Sam Hecht,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweeted out back on March 11th. “Hecht is just one of many prospects I’d expect the team to get a close look at in the pre-draft process.”
Hecht also appeared on Kay Adams’ show and was asked about his thoughts on potentially blocking for Caleb Williams in Chicago.
“I mean, yeah, protecting a quarterback of that caliber. That’s super exciting for sure. …Just the ability to make plays. He’s a playmaker.”
More on What Hecht Could Bring to the Bears
In Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s yearly edition of The Beast, he has Hecht as the No. 2-ranked center in this year’s draft class, just behind Jake Slaughter of Florida.
His short summary on Hecht? “A wide-bodied blocker who still has a walk-on work ethic; should push for starting reps.”
Love the sound of that! Here’s a longer summary of what Hecht could bring to the city of Chicago via Brugler.
“A two-year starter at Kansas State, Hecht lined up at center (right-handed snapper) in former offensive coordinator Matt Wells’ balanced scheme. A high school tackle and undersized walk-on, he worked his way up the depth chart at guard before moving to center, a position he hadn’t played until recently. Hecht started every game the last two seasons — he allowed zero sacks and committed zero penalties as a senior.
Hecht has a firm grasp of his strengths as a player and how to use his talent to get the job done. More strong than powerful, he is quick to engage and sustains well with tight, stubborn hands. He offers range and movement ability to be effective on the move, though his feet get a tad heavy when redirecting to answer defensive pressure. Soft spoken off the field, Hecht is a consistent finisher and hasn’t lost his walk-on work ethic.”
It would be great if he were available where the Bears currently sit in the third round at pick 89. However, Chicago may know the chances of Hecht being there are slim and could look to shock some people by drafting him at pick 58 or 60 in the second round.
Or potentially trade down a few slots with one of the two second-round picks. Just spitballing here.
Either way, he’s a center prospect that the Bears look to have a particularly strong interest in as the NFL draft inches closer.
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