Charlie

Heck

Heck is a six-year veteran of the league who has 29 games of starting experience under his belt. In his lone season with the Buccaneers, Heck started six of the 17 games he appeared in, with all of his starts coming at right tackle. He earned a PFF grade of 45.2 last season while allowing 32 pressures and three sacks.

Heck will serve as a backup swing-tackle option behind the Buccaneers’ bullying offensive tackle duo of LT Tristan Wirfs and RT Luke Goedeke. Heck flashed pass-protection potential early in his career but has settled into a journeyman role. He got into a few games with the 49ers late last year as injuries struck the line, and was previously on the Arizona practice squad after a four-year rookie contract run with the Texans.

The 49ers desperately need bodies with several of their linemen set to miss the final two weeks of the season. Heck played 30 snaps for the Cardinals as a reserve this year and was active in five games. He was a passable backup with the Texans in their Lost Era of 2020-2022, starting 13 games for David Culley’s crew in 2021.

Heck, who was a fourth-round pick of the Texans in 2020, can earn up to $3.3 million on this deal, and started four games for them in 2023. The four-year vet has started 21 of the 41 games he’s appeared in for his career, and has allowed eight sacks on 839 pass blocking snaps for PFF. He’ll likely have a chance to earn a role as one of the team’s backup tackles in camp.

His rookie deal includes a $710,704 signing bonus. Primarily a blocking tight end in high school, Heck (6'7/311) is still developing after three years as North Carolina’s starting left tackle. Fortunately, he benefits from growing up around the game under his father and former No. 15 overall pick Andy Heck. Charlie’s diverse athletic background translates onto the field as his footwork checks the necessary boxes at the next level. There’s also no question about his toughness after he played through a broken right hand in his senior year. Heck’s timing and technique need to dramatically improve but his existing skillset will allow him to battle for a role at the end of Houston’s roster in camp.

Rams soaked up picks No. 136, No. 248, and No. 250 in exchange for Bill O’Brien to trade up. Primarily a blocking tight end in high school, Heck (6'7/311) is still developing after three years as North Carolina’s starting left tackle. Fortunately, he benefits from growing up around the game under his father and former No. 15 overall pick Andy Heck. Charlie’s diverse athletic background translates onto the field as his footwork checks the necessary boxes at the next level. There’s also no question about his toughness after he played through a broken right hand in his senior year. Heck’s timing and technique need to dramatically improve but his existing skillset will allow him to battle for a role at the end of Houston’s roster in camp.

Primarily a blocking tight end in high school, Heck (6'7/311) is still developing after three years as North Carolina’s starting left tackle. Fortunately, he benefits from growing up around the game under his father and former No. 15 overall pick Andy Heck. Charlie’s diverse athletic background translates onto the field as his footwork checks the necessary boxes at the next level. There’s also no question about his toughness after he played through a broken right hand in his senior year. Heck’s timing and technique need to dramatically improve but his existing skillset will allow him to battle for a role at the end of Houston’s roster in camp.

“Heck has the talent to handle swing tackle duties and should be fully functional in all run-blocking schemes,” Zierlein writes. On the pass-pro front, the analyst is less enthused, calling those sets “just average” while noting that Heck “needs to get on top of rushers with his length early in the rep to maintain feel and widen the arc when needed.” While Heck is not a spectacular athlete -- testing in the 38th SPARQ percentile of NFL offensive linemen -- he comes to the draft well-seasoned after starting 33 games with the Tar Heels.

Depending on how you look at it, Young has put together a heck of a career. Young went in the sixth round in 2010 and has made an NFL roster every year since then, playing in 88 games with 21 starts over that span. Considering Zierlein’s praises of Heck’s size and ability to bend with pass-rushers around the edge, it is well within reason for Heck to follow a similar career arc as Young. Zierlein graded Heck as a backup / special teamer.

The son of former longtime NFL offensive lineman Andy Heck is coming off a week at the Shrine Bowl and will now get a second opportunity to impress evaluators. A 33-game starter at UNC, Heck has experience at both tackle spots. Heck (6'8/315) is considered a Day 3 prospect.