For former Kansas State center Sam Hecht, it's been a positive few weeks seeing his name trend upward in NFL Draft conversations.
ESPN is among the media outlets that have pushed his agenda the most. The popular media outlet declared Hecht the best "All-Film" interior offensive lineman, saying that his tape elevated him more than anyone else at his position.
"For my money, the best of the lot is Hecht," the article wrote. "He's not the heaviest center at 303 pounds, but he carries a ton of mass in his lower half and can exchange power for power with nose tackles, 30 pounds his superior. He gave more trouble to my interior defensive lineman pick for the All-Film team than anyone else last season."
And Hecht's latest laud will definitely give him some encouragement for his pro outlook. ESPN compared him to Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, who has three All-Pro selections and two championships. Like Hecht, Humphrey was also a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection, winning the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
"Hecht is cut from the cloth of Creed Humphrey," the article wrote. "But he lacks Humphrey's raw power and ridiculous explosiveness, so he takes a lot of plays to stalemates instead of emphatic wins. Still, on a shotgun- or RPO-heavy team that asks its center to wear a lot of hats, Hecht can be a plus starter, especially if he's insulated by supersize guards."
The article declared him a "fringe Day 2 prospect" who could likely be selected on Day 3, but has the upside to be a third-round pick. The former Wildcat is already drawing hype from the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, both of which boast signal-callers similar to Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson.
"Hecht doesn't have the length to be late on blocks, so he's an urgent and springy mover with scheme versatility," the article wrote. "His feet never die on contact, and he has clearly poured hours into the technical side of the position. Hecht has teach-tape footwork when getting out on pulls and climbs, and the variety of punches and hand placements he uses to bait out rush moves or create torque in the running game is impressive. He rarely needs to reset his hands, as his first strike is so reliably sound - the hallmark of a technician."
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