Cade Mays' Signing Boosts Connor Lew's Draft Stock

0:00It's March 23rd. Welcome in. This is NFL News Today, where the league meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. The Detroit Lions recently signed Cade Maze to start at center, so they might skip that spot early in the draft. Still, grabbing a solid backup in the middle rounds makes sense. One name popping up is Connor Liu. The 21-year-old center from Auburn projected for rounds 2-4. Liu suffered an ACL tear on October 18th, 2025, which cut his season short after 7-12 games. He played all 12 the year before and 11-13 in 2023, showing good durability up to that point. The injury raises a moderate concern, rated 5 out of 10, mainly because he'll be a rookie coming off recovery in 2026. A typical 11-month timeline could have him ready by September, but many players take time to regain top form that first year back. Long-term, an isolated ACL tear usually heals well, especially at his young age, and he might even

1:00redshirt his rookie season. Key will be checking for any cartilage damage, which could change the outlook. The lion success with Jamison Williams after his own ACL recovery adds some optimism here. If no major complications show up, Liu could be a smart mid-round pick for depth, paying off by 2027 when he's fully ramped up.