ESPN Knows Just the Right Prospect for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings closed some roster holes in free agency or by reworking the deals of players such as T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. Other areas still need love in the draft.
Interim GM Rob Brzezinski could be looking for a center following Ryan Kelly’s retirement. According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, draft prospect Sam Hecht should be on Minnesota’s radar as the draft is less than a month away.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted that center is Minnesota’s top need next to safety and wide receiver. He commented, “Ryan Kelly’s retirement left the Vikings without an obvious replacement at center. Backup Michael Jurgens started three games last season, and the Vikings converted guard/tackle Blake Brandel to start five more, but it’s unclear whether either is a long-term answer.”
Kelly was hired a year ago to upgrade the center concerns after years of long-time starter Garrett Bradbury, but several head injuries limited his impact in his lone Vikings year. His retirement was hardly surprising, but the Vikings didn’t acquire a new center in free agency. Granted, the candidates signed expensive contracts, perhaps too steep for the Vikings’ cap situation.
Seifert mentioned Jurgens and Brandel, but the Vikings might want to add to that position. Jurgens was a seventh-rounder in 2024 and brings center experience from college. Brandel has been a backup for years, with one year as a starter at left guard in 2024. His only center knowledge is from last year when he filled in for Kelly. It remains to be seen whether either is in the running for the starting job.
That’s where Kansas State’s Hecht enters the picture.
Reid wrote, “Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State. Hecht is an ideal fit for teams that incorporate a lot of zone scheme principles. He’s the third-best center in my rankings and would provide immediate competition for Brandel.”
Reid prefers Iowa’s Logan Jones and Auburn’s Connor Lew. At ESPN, fellow draft analyst Matt Miller has Hecht at the top of his center rankings, Field Yates has him second and Mel Kiper also has him third. Long story short, he’s one of the top center prospects in the class.
Hecht spent his entire college career at Kansas State, appearing in 42 games. He became a full-time starter in 2024. Almost all of his 1,660 college snaps came at center and he didn’t allow a single QB hit or sack in his career.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Hecht, “Hecht lacks ideal mass and length but it will be hard to find a center in this year’s draft with better technique. He plays with well-placed inside hands that help maximize his leverage and core strength. All schemes are available to him but his athleticism will shine when activated in space.”
At 6’4″ and 303 lbs, Hecht is more of a technician with solid movement skills rather than a powerful center.
“He stays sticky to blocks once he connects, but his lack of length will put him on the wrong side of the battle from time to time in both the run and pass phases. Hecht needs to add more muscle mass to his frame but he has the consistency and tape of a future starter,” Zierlein added.
Hecht is widely regarded as a third-round pick. Barring any trade, the Vikings have overall picks 49 (second round) and 82 and 97 (both third round).
Hecht could be an option for the Vikings next month.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.