The positive takeaway from Sean Rhyan’s three-year, $33 million extension with the Green Bay Packers is that it doesn’t prevent Green Bay from still targeting a developmental center in the draft. There are some intriguing options in this class. Sam Hecht is one of the most athletic centers available, and he fits the profile of a developmental player with upside.
If Anthony Belton or Aaron Banks struggle, Rhyan has the versatility to shift over, which would allow the Packers to plug a rookie in at center without disrupting the rest of the line.
Hecht took part in the Senior Bowl, continuing a steady rise that began when he entered college as a zero-star walk-on. He made 25 starts at Kansas State and earned first- and second-team All-Big 12 honors along the way. When you watch him, the first thing that stands out is his calm. There’s no panic to his game. He moves well, has light feet, and you can tell he’s been well coached with how technically sound he is, snap after snap.
He put together a strong 2025 season, posting a 78.1 pass-blocking grade and a 77.7 run-blocking grade. Over Hecht’s final two years at Kansas State, he allowed just 16 total pressures across 787 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t give up a single sack. He’s especially effective in space, gets to his spots quickly, and does a good job positioning himself to seal defenders while staying under control throughout the rep.
That said, the Packers have leaned toward bigger bodies along the offensive line in recent years. Hecht checked in at 304 lbs. at the combine. Since 2021, nine of the 11 linemen Green Bay has drafted have come in at 310 lbs. or more; Zach Tom and Jacob Monk are the only exceptions.
Tom weighed in the same range as Hecht, which would make Hecht one of the lighter offensive linemen the Packers have taken in that span. Then again, Tom has developed into a borderline All-Pro, so Green Bay would be wise to avoid overvaluing weight.
I ended up selecting Sam Hecht with the 84th pick in my consensus board-only mock draft, even though he sits 68th overall on the board. Considering Green Bay just paid Rhyan, it’s hard to see them addressing center before Day 3, especially with more pressing needs at interior defensive line, edge rusher, and cornerback.
Still, you can never have too many offensive linemen. The Packers are coming off their worst pass-blocking performance of the last decade. While Rhyan was serviceable, he was much closer to average than a true difference-maker at the position.
That matters even more when you consider Green Bay’s investment in Jordan Love. He’s making $55 million per year and, when the offensive line kept him clean last season, he ranked second among all quarterbacks in both offensive grade and passing grade. Love also finished second in passer rating among qualified quarterbacks – behind Mitchell Trubisky, who only started in Week 18 against a historically poor New York Jets defense.
The point is simple: Love was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL when operating from a clean pocket, and adding more talent up front to protect him is never a bad investment.
Sam Hecht likely won’t be at the very top of Green Bay’s board. However, if he starts to slide, he could present some intriguing value. At that point, you’re talking about a player with real upside and developmental traits that could make the pick worth the investment.
