A three-year Auburn starter with the No. 1 center grade in his draft class, Connor Lew arrives in Cincinnati as insurance and eventual successor at the pivot.
Connor Lew spent three seasons anchoring Auburn's interior line before the Bengals grabbed him in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. At 20 years old and just 310 pounds with above-average athleticism for the position, he profiles as a developmental center who can push for snaps once he adds strength.
Path to the league
Lew was a three-star recruit out of Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, who originally committed to Miami before flipping to Auburn. He took over as the Tigers' starting center in week eight of his true freshman season in 2023 after an injury to the incumbent starter, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Career highlights
Over three seasons at Auburn (2023-25), Lew started 25 of his 31 games played and was widely regarded as one of the top center prospects in the country entering the 2026 draft, with ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid ranking him the top center available. The Bengals traded up, sending the 110th and 199th picks to the New York Jets to move up for the 128th and 140th selections, using one of those picks on Lew.
2025 season recap
Lew's final college season at Auburn came in 2025, capping a three-year run as the Tigers' primary starter at center. Cincinnati selected him with the 128th overall pick that spring, immediately slotting him behind veteran Ted Karras as a backup with an eye toward taking over the starting job down the road.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Connor Lew
- ESPN: Connor Lew
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Center
- Group
- offense
- College
- Auburn
- Hometown
- Kennesaw, GA, USA
- Age
- 20
- Status
- active
Team
