The Buffalo Bills had a hole to fill in the middle of their offensive line after the 2024 offseason, and Connor McGovern turned that opening into one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Buffalo’s cap situation forced some unpopular roster decisions, including the release of Mitch Morse, who had been Josh Allen’s center since 2019. Instead of chasing a veteran replacement or spending an early draft pick, the Bills shifted McGovern from guard to center. They had also drafted Sedrick Van Pran-Granger in the fifth round in 2024, but McGovern was the one set to start.
That move could have been a gamble. McGovern had joined the Bills in 2023 after coming over from the Dallas Cowboys to play guard, so the switch in the middle of the line was a major adjustment.
Instead, he did more than hold his own. He became one of the league’s best centers and helped Buffalo protect Allen while creating running room for James Cook.
Still, McGovern didn’t get much love in Jeremy Fowler of ESPN’s latest rankings, where executives, coaches and scouts voted on the top interior offensive linemen heading into the 2026 season. McGovern was not in the Top 10, and he also missed out on the honorable mentions. He only received some votes, alongside players such as Landon Dickerson, Kevin Dotson, Erik McCoy and a few others.
Because the rankings covered both centers and guards, McGovern might not have landed in the top five overall. But he has done enough to deserve a place in the Top 10 at his position. He played a key role in helping Allen win his first MVP award in 2024, McGovern’s first season at center, and he also helped James Cook lead the league in rushing touchdowns in 2024 and rushing yards in 2025.
Calling him anything less than one of the best is hard to justify. McGovern made the position change at a time when Buffalo’s offense was already headed for a different look, and he handled it cleanly.
The Bills clearly value him that way, too. They extended him on a four-year deal before free agency began this past March, and that contract looks like a bargain compared to what the Las Vegas Raiders gave Tyler Linderbaum.
With McGovern locked in for the long term, Buffalo has its anchor in place and Allen keeps the continuity he has in the middle.
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