Panthers pick named amongst biggest steals of 2026 NFL Draft

One of the longest-running roster holes for the Carolina Panthers has been at center, where they haven't had a solidified starter since the days of Ryan Kalil.

Despite having some promising options like Cade Mays and Brady Christensen, the Panthers decided to start over from scratch at this position. First, they signed veteran Luke Fortner, who projects as their Week 1 starter at this spot.

And now, Carolina added a potential franchise center in the 2026 NFL Draft—taking Kansas State's Sam Hecht at No. 144 overall.

According to Justin Melo at NFL Draft on SI, Hecht was one of the biggest draft steals of the fifth round. He writes:

The Carolina Panthers signed Luke Fortner in free agency to play center this season. He's a short-term solution until they find a young player with higher upside. They may have found just that in Kansas State center Sam Hecht at No. 144 overall. A two-year starter, Hecht is a steady performer who plays the position with outstanding technique, often winning the leverage battle.

Hecht (6-foot-4, 303 pounds) is coming off a great 2025 campaign for the Wildcats. For his efforts, he earned an 80.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus—ranking fourth out of over 300 qualifying centers. Hecht got equally strong grades in pass blocking (79.6) and run blocking (77.7).