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Cincinnati Bengals select Connor Lew in 4th round of 2026 NFL Draft

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones04/25/26brianjones_93

The CIncinnati Bengals have selected Auburn center Connor Lew in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is now in the NFL after spending the last three seasons with the Tigers.

In Lew’s first season at Auburn (2023), he became the starter in late October and emerged as one of the best young offensive linemen in the SEC. He was selected to the All-SEC Freshman Team and several Freshman All-America squads.

In 2024, Lew started every game at center and was selected for the SEC Academic Honor Roll. This past season, Lew started the first seven games before suffering a season-ending injury. He was Auburn’s highest-graded offensive lineman in four of the seven games he played.

Despite his college career ending early, Connor Lew is ready to take his game to the next level. “This whole process has been unbelievable,” Connor Lew told the media after Auburn’s Pro Day, per Jaeden Day of the Montgomery Advertiser. “It’s everything you dream about growing up as a kid, being a big fan of this sport, and it’s finally here, and you’re the one actually running these drills, you’re the one doing the bench press, you’re the one in these meetings talking to these scouts — it’s been great overall.”

Lew played high school football at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. He was ranked No. 430 in the 2023 On3|Rivals National Industry Rankings.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Connor Lew

NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein shared his thoughts on Lew ahead of the draft. Zierlein compared him to Zach Frazier, the current center of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2024.

“Lew is a team captain recovering from an ACL injury suffered in October 2025,” Zierlein said. “He’s a natural bender with better foot quickness and athleticism than he shows in the Auburn run scheme. He has strong hands and a strong core to neutralize. He can bump and climb with good fluidity. He’s average as a drive blocker and needs to play with better consistency to mirror the rush without over-setting. His frame and game will continue to improve with time. Lew’s toughness, intelligence, and leadership give him a slight grade bump and are core traits that should make him a solid starter.”