Night two of the 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up on Friday night, reaching its conclusion with both Kansas State football names still on the board. At both positions, however, other college stars already went, and it's not for a lack of talent.
Kansas State football's Sam Hecht, VJ Payne still undrafted after day two of 2026 NFL Draft
Two centers came off the board in the second round: Iowa center Logan Jones and Florida's Jake Slaughter. Jones was drafted by the Bears, with Slaughter to the Chargers.
Both entered the draft with first-round projections and lived up to them. Hecht, meanwhile, remains on the board.
Coming into the draft, Hecht was widely projected as a third- to fourth-round pick. The former Kansas State center anchored the Wildcats for four seasons, including 25 starts across his junior and senior years.
Jones and Slaughter offer a similar profile. Like Hecht, both anchored Power Four programs for multiple seasons; Jones in the Big Ten and Slaughter in the SEC.
At a glance, there isn't a glaring resume difference. Three experienced centers, all with high-level starting experience, but with Jones and Slaughter holding a clear edge in the draft pecking order. That gap shows up in pre-draft rankings as well, where both were consistently slotted ahead of Hecht.
Still, the evaluation isn’t unanimous. According to ESPN analyst Matt Miller, Hecht stands out as a preferred option at the position. Others, including Mel Kiper Jr., T.J. Yates and Jordan Reid, leaned toward Jones at the top of the class.
Top prospects drafted ahead of VJ Payne
Former Kansas State safety VJ Payne was projected to hear his name called in the fourth round, according to NFL.com. He appeared in all 27 games between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, totaling 84 tackles.
The first round saw Ohio State's Caleb Downs and Oregon's Dillon Thienman. In the second and third rounds, Arizona's Treydan Stukes, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, TCU's Bud Clark, LSU's A.J, Haulcy and Miami's Jakobe Thomas also fell off the board.
All were projected above Payne, with the majority also playing in the Power Four. Kansas State saw action against Clark this season, with the Seahawks pick totaling two tackles in a 41-28 loss on Oct. 11.
Payne's numbers stack up similarly: a 4.40 40-yard dash, 35" vertical and a 10'7" broad jump. At the time of publication, Payne's highest draft projection is early in the fourth round.
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