Overview
- Hecht, selected in the fifth round Saturday in Pittsburgh, joins Carolina with the 144th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
- He started 25 games at Kansas State over the past two seasons, earning All-Big 12 honors and reportedly allowing no sacks while avoiding penalties as a senior.
- The 6-foot-4, 303-pound lineman measured at the NFL Combine and was rated the No. 2 center and the No. 80 overall prospect by ESPN.
- Carolina targeted help at center after losing Cade Mays in free agency, signing veteran Luke Fortner to a one-year deal and cycling through 12 offensive line combinations last season.
- Hecht becomes Kansas State’s first offensive lineman drafted since 2024 and the program’s first center taken since Cody Whitehair in 2016, with evaluators saying he could compete for snaps early.