Bears are reportedly keeping a close eye on a top center in the 2026 NFL Draft despite making a recent trade that will soon become official
The Chicago Bears are keeping the long term options open at the center position after Drew Dalman’s retirement.
The Chicago Bears were hit with a stunner days before the start of free agency when 27-year-old Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman announced his retirement from the NFL, one year into a three-year, $42 million contract he signed with the Bears last offseason.
That news put the Bears on the list of teams in the center market, especially with how valuable head coach Ben Johnson considers the position to be for his offense. Instead of entering a bidding war for Tyler Linderbaum or Cade Mays on the open market, general manager Ryan Poles had another idea.
Chicago opted to make a pre free agency trade with the New England Patriots to acquire starting center Garrett Bradbury for a 2027 fifth-round pick, a deal that will officially go through at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11. Bradbury has one year remaining on his current contract that would have a $5,700,000 cap hit for Chicago in 2026.
It was a stellar move by the Bears, but not one that addresses the long-term issue at the position after losing Dalman. Which is why the Bears have started doing homework on the 2026 draft class.
Chicago Bears are already showing interest in Kansas State center Sam Hecht
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears had a “large contingent” of scouts and coaches down at the Kansas State Pro Day on Tuesday to watch Sam Hecht, one of the top center prospects entering April’s draft. Biggs noted he expects the team to get another close look at Hecht in the pre-draft process, hinting at a potential Top-30 visit.
Hecht was a two-year starting center for the Wildcats and you can tell watching him why Ben Johnson would be interested in this guy.
His athleticism shines blocking out in space, which is how the Bears used Dalman getting out in front as a run blocker. He lacks some obvious size and length you’d want out of the position, but the potential is there to work with.
In his final season, Hecht allowed zero sacks and just seven pressures in pass protection. Here’s how he graded out in 2025 according to Pro Football Focus: overall grade of 80.3, run blocking grade of 77.7, and a passing blocking grade of 79.6.
He’s widely viewed as a third-round projection, where the Bears hold the 89th overall pick. Other potential rookie centers to watch include Jake Slaughter, Logan Jones, and Connor Tollison.
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