Texans' Draft Fit for Top-Rated IOL Just Got More Interesting

This NFL draft prospect could make a ton of sense for the Houston Texans.

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Auburn offensive lineman Connor Lew (OL32) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans have been a premier candidate to target some highly-touted offensive linemen within the top three rounds on the board.

And by taking a look at their latest reported visit for one of this year's top interior offensive linemen, there's a chance that Houston might take a deeper look into selecting him with one of their day-two selections.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Auburn centwr Connor Lew has met with the Texans and several other NFL teams, but perhaps more importantly, is making a sound recovery from his previous ACL injury suffered last October.

"Lew is making a speedy recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October against Missouri. NFL teams recently received a letter with a medical update on Lew stating that he is far ahead of schedule in his rehab and should be ready for football activities in training camp."

Keep an Eye on Connor Lew for Texans

Lew is projected to be one of the top center prospects to come off the board in the draft later this week, and has often been linked as a name in play for Houston as someone to add competition to the interior of their line as a potential day one starter.

That, of course, makes a lot more sense when Lew has a significant knee injury that's well ahead of schedule in terms of recovery. Having the chance to participate in training camp is a huge factor to take note of.

And for Houston, having that recovery process in place might just be able to shift him a few spots further up on their draft board from where he sat previously.

Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Connor Lew (75) sets the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Lew is listed as a 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman with strong athletic traits, and has the qualities to jump into a starting role pretty quickly at the next level.

In terms of his combine drills, Lew was limited to participating in the bench press, logging 25 reps as the highest count for any offensive lineman in the class–º adding even further appeal for the Texans scouting team as a strong, SEC-experienced center to add to their revamped offensive line.

All offseason, the Texans have been eager as it relates to reworking their offensive line, making shakeups by both trading their longest tenured veteran, Tytus Howard, to the Cleveland Browns, but also by adding new starters in free agency at both left guard and right tackle with Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith, respectively.

But with four picks in the first three rounds of the draft, and maybe even a further desire to add competition for 2025 starter Jake Andrews, Lew adds up as an ideal fit on paper for Houston.

If he falls into the top of the third round, he stands out as a prime candidate for the Texans to take a good look at, especially if they liked what they saw in their reported pre-draft meeting with him.

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