Connor Lew was among five Auburn players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, going at No. 128 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round. He was the third Tiger taken and the first offensive player from Auburn to come off the board.
On Saturday, Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher explained the reasoning behind the pick, emphasizing Lew’s ability to clearly communicate what’s required of him as a pro center. Pitcher noted, “He was asked to do a lot of the things that we ask our center to do when it comes to getting in and out of protections and readjusting Mike points in the run game. Basically, everything you have to be able to do to function as a center at this level, he’s already been asked to do, and he can articulate that at a really high level, and it’s confident when he does it. You can tell some guys guess. They guess at the right answer when they’re talking to you. Some guys know the right answer. Connor knows the right answer. And so that part puts you at ease for a young player.”
Pitcher added, “And then physically, he just fits us. He’s big. He’s wide-bodied. He’s stout in protection. I mean, just fortunate to be able to bring him in when we did and can’t wait to work with him. … You got to be able to pass protect to the play for us. And you got to know at the center position how to get everybody else pointed in the right direction. He does that. He can anchor and solidify the interior of the pocket. He’s smart, he’s athletic and he just has a lot of tools to work with.”
It’s tempting to credit Auburn head coach and de facto play-caller Hugh Freeze for Lew’s polish and his ability to articulate assignments so well. But Freeze isn’t the reason Lew is pro-ready.
Connor Lew arrived at Auburn prepared to contribute immediately, starting six games as a freshman and making 25 starts over three seasons. His 2025 campaign was cut short by an ACL tear in October, which likely dropped his draft stock by at least a round.
Freeze didn’t shape Lew into what he is today. Instead, the real credit belongs to Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs head coach Caleb Carmean, offensive coordinator Chris Walker, and offensive line coach Adam Wilson for getting him NFL-ready—not Freeze or Jake Thornton.
Still, three years of practicing at the Woltosz Football Performance Center, going against elite defenses coached by DJ Durkin, and facing a solid if unspectacular unit led by Ron Roberts, helped Lew perform well enough to become a fourth-round pick.
As the first Auburn offensive lineman drafted since Braden Smith in 2018, Lew now has a chance to show that the Tigers can still produce a gem up front from time to time.
Freeze found him, but his staff didn’t develop him. If they had, Lew might have gone even higher in the draft—despite coming off a season-ending injury.
Leave a Reply