Auburn's Connor Lew Could Be Vikings' Center Solution

The Minnesota Vikings are in desperate need of a center for this upcoming season. Ryan Kelly retired in March, meaning the draft is the best place to address a missing piece on the offensive line. Auburn’s Connor Lew is one of the best options to fill this hole.

Lew is a 6’3”, 310 lb. center projected to be drafted in the second round, making him a perfect pick for the Vikings with the 49th-overall selection. He’s a third-year player with plenty of experience. He was in the starting lineup for Auburn late in 2023 as a freshman, even earning SEC freshman of the week in his first career start.

Lew carved out an impressive freshman season, which isn’t an easy task in the SEC.

Lew finished his career at Auburn as one of the best centers in Auburn’s history.

Lew has plenty of accolades and has made a name for himself, but what makes him stand out on tape?

His best attribute by far is his run blocking. He’s constantly in the right place, making critical blocks. His highlight reel is full of pancake blocks.

As you can see in the clips above, Lew excels at creating leverage against defenders and has NFL-ready strength. His pass protection is also an asset, and he consistently creates a stable environment for his quarterback.

Lew also doesn’t commit many penalties; it’s rare for him even to get a holding call. He was flagged just eight times in three years at Auburn.

That’s almost unheard of for any position on the offensive line. Center, like cornerback, is not a position group where you want to hear your name called much. Few outside of Auburn know who Lew is, which means he’s doing his job.

That’s especially impressive, given that Auburn was a very subpar team, posting an 18-21 record during his time there. Being that anchor on the team meaningfully benefited the team during a tough stretch.

Lew is also extremely young. He’s only 20 years old, making him one of the most productive players in SEC history while still one of its youngest.

Lew has not yet fully grown into the player he can become. Minnesota’s offensive coaching staff can take full advantage of this by getting him into their building and developing him, as they’ve done with Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson.

Experts have also praised him for his high football IQ, something that’s much harder to teach. Having such a high football IQ at such a young age is rare.

Additionally, after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, a smaller quarterback, the center position becomes even more important across all aspects of the game.

One knock on Lew is that he’s coming off an ACL tear. Many had given Lew a first-round grade before this.

That may work out in Minnesota's favor, being able to get a first-round talent at a bargain.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, this is a rather shallow center class. Given how desperately the team needs one, drafting Lew should be a top priority.

Connor Lew would be a perfect addition to the Vikings’ locker room, especially as a second-round pick with first-round potential.