General manager Dan Morgan moved back twice early on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers didn't get any extra selections, but they were placed in more advantageous positions a little lower down the pecking order.
The fifth-round pick they gave up as part of the trade-up for nose tackle Lee Hunter was recouped after a deal with the Chicago Bears. In fact, it turned out to be a better choice than the one Morgan gave up.
In terms of the pick, the Panthers also managed to fill one of their key needs with Sam Hecht at No. 144 overall. The center position has been crying out for extra competition after Cade Mays left in free agency. Now, they have it, so it'll be interesting to see how the former Kansas State standout performs over the summer.
Carolina Panthers trigger summer center competition with Sam Hecht pick
Hecht comes from good stock. The Wildcats have been a conveyor belt for NFL talent in recent years, and the Panthers want to get in on the action. He might be a work in progress technically, but Morgan was willing to bet that the environment in Carolina would unlock something a little different in the player.
Learning from Luke Fortner will be a good place to start. He's a solid pro who knows how to prepare effectively. If Hecht had any sense, he would be spending as much time with the free-agent signing as possible, learning what it takes to succeed before potentially hopefully going on to achieve similar success.
And if he transitions smoothly, there could be a legitimate competition for the No. 1 spot this summer.
Whether he's got the tools for that is debatable, but it's not costing the Panthers much to find out for sure. And who knows, perhaps Hecht will be a surprise almost nobody sees coming en route to immediate involvement when the 2026 campaign commences.
Stranger things have happened, but it's obviously a wait-and-see scenario.
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