The San Francisco 49ers have their list of top needs in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and it'll be interesting to see which prospects wind up falling down the board in Round 1 to land in general manager John Lynch's lap at No. 27 overall.
After that, though, things truly get interesting.
If there's one guarantee for the Niners early, it's the fact they won't worry about the interior of their offensive line for at least the first round, perhaps even the first two.
But, armed with four picks in Round 4, it wouldn't be a shock to see San Francisco make some moves to beef up the O-line, specifically the interior.
And there's one prospect who understandably hasn't been getting a lot of attention but could easily prove to be a long-term fixture.
Sam Hecht could be 49ers' choice to eventually replace Jake Brendel
The 49ers have certainly gotten their money's worth out of veteran center Jake Brendel, who took over full-time starting duties in 2022 after primarily being a journeyman backup in the course of his career up to that point.
While plenty of fans cite him as a major weakness, nearly all analytical data points suggest he's well above average in contrast to most starting centers.
The problem, though, is Brendel will turn age 34 at the start of the 2026 regular season, and the Niners would be wise to explore contingency plans.
Kansas State's Sam Hecht would be an intriguing target to grab in Round 4, then letting him develop behind Brendel for at least a year.
Here's what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein had to say about the 6-foot-4, 303-pound lineman:
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. 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.
Projected to go somewhere in the middle of day three of the draft, Hecht likely won't slip far beyond the fourth round, yet San Francisco is perfectly equipped to grab him with one if its four picks in the round.
And head coach Kyle Shanahan, who values intelligent center play, certainly would appreciate the smarts Hecht brings to the equation while trusting the physical developmental traits take place over time.
As such, don't be overly shocked if Hecht's name gets called in Round 4 when the 49ers are on the clock (and if he's still available).