Drew Dalman retiring was not the outcome the Chicago Bears wanted. They signed him to a three-year deal, hoping he could be a fixture at center for the next few years at least. He even responded with a Pro Bowl nod in 2025, the first seen by a Bears center in seven years. Then, with the offseason just days away, the 27-year-old called it a career. That left head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles in a tough spot. How could they fill that sudden void in the middle of their line on such short notice? After exploring the potential free agent options and discovering most wouldn’t be available, they pivoted to a trade for longtime veteran Garrett Bradbury.
While the former 1st-round pick isn’t a dominant presence, his experience, intelligence, athleticism, and calm should make for a solid stopgap. It gives the team time to explore their long-term possibilities. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, they may already have one in mind.
Experts view Sam Hecht as the second or third-best center in the entire 2026 draft. He’s started 25 games for Kansas State over the past two years. While not the biggest or strongest player at his position, many believe Hecht is the most technically proficient center in the class. He never makes fundamental mistakes, and he couples it with the athleticism to pull or get to the second level.
Ben Johnson clearly has a type.
If you’re wondering if Hecht sounds a lot like Dalman in terms of style and ability, you would be correct. It is fairly evident that Johnson has a certain preference for centers of this type. He’s willing to sacrifice size and power for technique, intelligence, and mobility. Considering the type of offense the Bears deploy, centered around an outside-zone running scheme, it makes sense.
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The best offenses that ran this system had centers built much the same way. Tom Nalen was a pioneer with the Denver Broncos in the 1990s. He was 6’3″, 286 lbs. Chris Myers (6’4″, 286 lbs) saw similar results in Houston with Gary Kubiak. Alex Mack (6’4″, 311 lbs) was brilliant under Kyle Shanahan in both Cleveland and Atlanta. Hecht has many of the same tools. It’s not about overwhelming defenders with sheer physical ability. He is a smart player who is always in the right places.
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2nd | 39 | James Daniels | Iowa |
| 2015 | 3rd | 71 | Hroniss Grasu | Oregon |
| 1998 | 3rd | 64 | Olin Kreutz | Washington |
The Bears haven’t been big investors at center.
They have never spent a 1st round pick on the position in the Super Bowl era. They’ve spent a day two pick on it only three times in the past 35 years. Olin Kreutz was obviously a grand slam in 1998. Unfortunately, Hroniss Grasu and James Daniels were disappointments. Cody Whitehair was a 2nd round pick, but he was drafted as a guard. The only reason he moved to center in the first place was that Grasu tore his ACL. Finding stability at that position has been a saga spanning over a decade.
Hecht is the type of player who can hold down that position for a long time. He’s tough, athletic, and smart. Guys like that tend to last a long time in the NFL. The fact that Ben Johnson is clearly interested in him says a lot. He knows what the good centers look like. This is one of the situations where you should trust the guy who is one of the best offensive minds in the sport.
