Meet Connor Lew, Bengals' new center who could've gone in Round 1 if not for one reason

Meet Connor Lew, Bengals' new center who could've gone in Round 1 if not for one reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cincinnati Bengals traded their top-10 pick for Dexter Lawrence to beef up the interior of their defensive line. Then, down the board in Round 4, the Bengals are upgrading the interior of their offensive line.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Bengals have drafted Auburn center Connor Lew. The 20-year-old is young and a developmental pick as well.

But, as Rapoport points out, the reason why the Bengals should be excited about this selection is that Lew might've gone a whole lot earlier had he not gotten hurt.

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Meet Connor Lew, the Bengals new center

"The Bengals at No. 128 selected Auburn C Connor Lew, who could have been a late-1st or 2nd rounder had he not torn his ACL," Rapoport shared.

While drafting someone coming off an injury is a big concern, this scenario is one reason why fans can be excited about picking such a player.

It's a risky pick for the Bengals, but he won't be starting right away, and he has plenty of upside. He played in seven games in 2025 before his ACL injury, but had he stayed healthy all year, he likely would've gone a lot earlier.

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As the NFL Draft rolls along, the best thing teams can do is select players with high upside, as plenty of players down the board might not make teams.

For the Bengals with the Lew pick, they're taking a chance to select someone who can be a long-term proctor for Joe Burrow, even if not right away.

Lew is only 20 years old and has made plenty of starts already in his college career, all at center. This is a high upside pick, and while Rapoport's first-round take might be bold, the upside case with Lew makes this selection a very fun one for Cincinnati.