Coming into the 2025 season, the Auburn offensive line was widely regarded as one of the best in the nation, largely due to the leadership of center Connor Lew. In my preseason rankings, Lew held the title as my top interior offensive lineman and even earned a top 10 grade in the class as a whole. I was completely sold on his skills as a center and was incredibly excited to see what he would accomplish as the season progressed.
The hype for Lew started to spread early in the season, with most analysts including him late in first-round mock drafts. It was almost unanimous in the draft community that if your team was looking for a center, Lew was your guy, but then, disaster struck. Lew went down, grabbing his knee in week eight, and was later diagnosed with a season-ending torn ACL. This injury was a devastating blow to Lew’s draft stock, with him now projected to be closer to a second or third-round pick and potentially returning to school.
NFL teams are known for being overly cautious when deciding to draft prospects with injury concerns, and countless times, we have seen top prospects fall due to injury issues. Guys like Montez Sweat, Will Johnson, and Trey Smith are prime examples of great players who fell in the draft because of unique injury concerns. Lew could be yet another example of a first-round talent whose injury concerns could push him down the draft board this offseason.
On tape, Lew is dominant both in the pass game and in the run game, where he uses excellent balance and strong hips to keep defensive linemen in front of him. At 6’3/300, Lew has a relatively average frame for a center, but he does a great job controlling his body and keeping everything in front of him on the interior. In pass protection, he does a great job shifting the offensive line and picking up extra blitzers, and in the run game, he excels as a zone blocker, creating gaps up front for his backs.
Center is one of the hardest positions in football, and in my opinion, it is easily the hardest position on the offensive line. There are very few elite centers in the NFL, and Lew makes everything he does look easy. He often reminds me of Saints center Erik McCoy due to his frame and very well-rounded skillset, with consistency in every facet of the game. Lew is even successful pulling in the run game, doing a great job making a clean snap while still getting around and making his block on the outside.
Most teams in the NFL are looking for an upgrade at center, and if the injury were a non-factor, I think Lew would be a lock to go in the top 20. There will be no questions about his skills when we get closer to draft day, and almost all of the focus around Lew will be on his health. Knee injuries can be killers for offensive linemen, but if Lew can make a full recovery in the offseason, he may become a day two steal for a team looking for immediate offensive line help.
