Connor
Lew.
Connor
Lew.
Auburn· 6'4"· 310 lb
R4 · #128 · Cincinnati Bengals"A three-year SEC starter at center whose snap-quickness and reach block let him steer 5-tech tackles in the run game, but a late-season ACL tear and a light-boned frame push him to the Day 3 developmental tier."Pre-draft read
A compact zone-scheme center, he fires out low with a clean one-handed snap, getting his second step down before contact. This movement is foundational to Auburn's mid-zone and split-zone schemes. He wins with angle, timing, and reach on 1-technique noses, climbing on time to reach the Mike. He demonstrates the range to pull short on GT-counter concepts.
His hands work effectively in tight windows, showing quick inside placement, a clear resetting punch when his frame is challenged, and a late "sticky" grip when he establishes thumbs-up leverage. His pass-protection anchor relies on timing rather than mass; he sinks his hips, presses with short strokes, and slides square to the mug rather than opening his gate. He also consistently communicates, pointing, resetting, and passing off twists on tempo.
The Cincinnati Bengals use a varied rushing attack but lean on outside zone and inside zone with shotgun RPOs as a complement.
Connor Lew projects as an eventual starting center, capable of running a zone scheme from Year 1, with the potential to anchor a top rushing attack.
Lew would be a poor fit in a true power/gap scheme where he'd be asked to consistently down-block or pull as a lead blocker, as his lack of raw mass and power would be exposed.
A scheme-specific prospect, Lew projects as an above-average zone center due to his excellent short-area quickness and communication skills but lacks the raw power to excel in a gap running game.
Connor Lew | Center | Auburn — Voch Lombardi & Bryan Broaddus Draft Profile
Detailed pre-draft breakdown of Lew's hand quickness, zone footwork and Combine measurables.
CHTV 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: C Connor Lew
Full scouting report on Lew's Auburn tape, ACL context, and NFL projection.
Auburn center Connor Lew at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine
Combine podium footage — measurables interview and testing plan around the ACL injury.
Connor Lew projected as a starting-caliber zone-scheme center due to his foundational technique, quickness, and intelligence. His consistent ability to win leverage in the run game and effectively communicate in pass protection made him a reliable interior presence. His 31 bench reps suggested a solid profile for the position.
He emerged as a three-year SEC starter at center, taking over Auburn's pivot position in Week 8 of his true freshman year and maintaining the role through coaching changes, earning SEC Freshman of the Week and All-Freshman honors in 2023. His 2025 season concluded early due to a torn ACL, which impacted his pre-draft process.
Evaluators recognized his technical proficiency, footwork, and communication skills from three seasons of SEC play. Concerns regarding his play strength against true 0-technique nose tackles and his 9-inch hand size were noted. The torn ACL, which prevented him from participating in combine drills, was the primary variable impacting his draft stock, ultimately leading to him being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round.
- 01
Elite short-area quickness
Fires out of his stance with a clean one-handed snap and gets his second step in the ground before contact.
- 02
Reach block operator
Wins the angle on 1-techs by attacking the play-side number and locking the seam for the running back.
- 03
Climb timing to the Mike
Chips on the double, then disengages on the linebacker's flow to deliver a resetting punch.
- 04
Hand placement and reset
Consistent inside placement, quick to re-fit when a nose crosses his face; rides defenders where he wants them.
- 05
Protection IQ and communication
Auburn's point man for identifying mugs, sliding calls, and passing off twists on tempo.
- 01
Play strength vs. true 0-tech noses
Bigger interior bodies can bull him back into the pocket when they land inside first.
- 02
Hand size flag
9-inch hands showed up on tape when defenders swiped down; grip strength on second-effort resets is average.
- 03
Frame projection is capped
Torso length and bone structure suggest a max weight of 310–315 without losing quickness.
- 04
Torn ACL late in 2025
Missed the back half of his senior year and full Combine testing circuit; medical timeline is a variable.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- —s
- Vertical
- —in
- Broad jump
- 78.875inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- 31repp50
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Auburn | 11 |
| 2024 | Auburn | 13 |
| 2025 | Auburn | 7 |
| Career | — | 31 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The player he was drafted behind: technician center who wins with timing and communication more than mass — a fair year-three projection.
Zone-scheme starting center with plus quickness, plus IQ and a career built on angles rather than power — Lew's realistic ceiling if the knee heals clean.
Undersized quick-set center whose lack of anchor strength kept him as a backup — Lew's downside if the ACL lingers and the play strength never catches up.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context
Lew arrived at Auburn as a 3-star flip from Miami and became a rare true-freshman SEC starter at center by midseason, earning the SEC All-Freshman team. He anchored the interior for three years through offensive-coordinator changes, developing into a technician on a young line — the kind of pivot evaluators loved on the coach's tape more than on the highlight reel. His 2025 season ended early with a torn ACL, which cost him the full pre-draft testing circuit and cost his stock a round or two despite steady tape.
NFL fit — Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati took him as a developmental heir apparent behind the veteran interior in front of Joe Burrow, betting the recovery timeline is clean. The scheme fit is obvious: the Bengals run outside-zone and mid-zone with pulls off it, and Lew's reach quickness and climb timing translate directly. Year one is a red-shirt: rehab, add mass on a still-projectable frame, and learn the protection calls behind the current starter. If the ACL comes back cleanly, he profiles as a swing interior backup by year two and a starting center candidate on his second contract.
Retrospective
Too early to grade the pick as anything but a bet on medicals and traits. The eval read as sound — technique, feet, football character all pointed to a starting-caliber center, with hand size and play-strength on true nose tackles as the real football flags. The ACL is the swing factor: if it heals, this is a value pick on a five-year cost-controlled starter; if the recovery lingers, he becomes a backup center who was drafted for what he was before the injury.