After trading the 110th and 199th pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the 128th and 140th selections, the Bengals drafted C Connor Lew with their first fourth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here is a brief overview of the selection:

Pick: Round Four, 128th Overall

Name: Connor Lew

Hometown: Kennesaw, GA

Height: 32 3/8"

Weight: 310 lbs

Arm: 32 3/8"

Hand: 9"

College career stats (from College Football Reference:) Started 25 career games over three seasons at Auburn and was a team captain in 2025.

College Highlights: Lew was named Freshman All American and was a member of the SEC All Freshman Team in 2023 before starting all 12 games at center in 2024. He started seven games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

Bengals Reaction: "He was a team captain at Auburn and a 2 ½ year starter there. His movement in pass protection is really good, he can anchor down versus the bull (rush), he's a good athlete in the run game, he can get out in space, he's a good zone blocker, so obviously his ability is there. But really, what stood out the most was his character, his personality, what he's going to bring to the locker room, his energy, and the juice he'll bring to the rest of the guys." - Assistant GM Steven Radicevic

"I was a redshirt freshman in junior college when I was 21 years old, so to be 20 and going into the NFL – there's a lot of upside in front of him to have played 2 ½ years as a starting center in the SEC. We feel really good about his progression off the injury he's had, and Dan Pitcher and our line coaches have spent time with the makeup part of it in the interview process and really stood on the table for him." - HC Zac Taylor

Player Reaction: "The knee is great. I haven't had any setbacks or any problems. If anything, I'm a little bit ahead of schedule with the recovery timeline. So we're thinking I'll be 100 percent for camp."

Draftnick Takes: 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...Lew's toughness, intelligence and leadership give him a slight grade bump and are core traits that should make him a solid starter. - NFL.com's Lance Zierlein

How Does He Fit?: After moving on from Matt Lee and Seth McLaughlin this offseason, the backup center job is Lew's to lose. He's the Bengals' highest drafted center since Billy Price went in the first round in 2018.

Did You Know?: Lew has his pilot's license and majored in Aviation at Auburn. He was a top-10 interior offensive line prospect nationally coming out of high school and lettered in wrestling. Lew is still only 20 years old, not turning 21 until Aug. 30.