Texas interior offensive lineman Hayden Conner enters the 2025 NFL Draft having lived the dream. Growing up in nearby Katy, Texas, Conner went on to represent the home state Longhorns. The powerful offensive lineman departs the program after making 51 appearances with 43 starts.
Conner recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Conner discussed representing the Texas Longhorns, his results at the NFL Combine and Pro Day, his favorite plays to run in the playbook, and more.
JM: You grew up in Katy, Texas and went on to play four seasons for the Texas Longhorns. Talk about living the dream. What has it meant to represent the hometown team?
Hayden Conner: It truly meant everything to me. In Texas, there’s always the debate between Texas and Texas A&M, and which one is the flagship program of the state (laughs). It’s Texas for sure.
I didn’t grow up a Texas Longhorns fan. My love for the program came naturally as I was getting recruited. To go out there and be a part of the change, to help bring Texas back, or at least help put the program back on the right track, it was everything to me.
I would do it over and over again if I could. It was a true blessing to go out with the coaching staff and teammates I came in with. It was the most incredible experience.
JM: And talk about leaving a legacy. You leave the program having made 51 appearances with 43 starts. How do you think that experience will serve you at the next level?
Hayden Conner: I think the film proves I’m an experienced player. I tend to quickly pick up on things in-game. I have an extremely high football IQ. It gives me an in-game advantage. My experience allowed me to play all five positions up front for Texas.
I was the flex guy for our offensive line. It adds a ton of value to my game.
JM: It certainly does. You participated in this year's NFL Combine. You went through position drills and a few testing results. Did you get good feedback from NFL teams?
Hayden Conner: Yeah, I got good feedback. A lot of people told me I looked really good in the position drills. I improved my shuttle times at Pro Day as well. I ended up PRing [setting personal records] in both the three-cone and shuttle.
I felt like I moved really well during the drills at the NFL Combine. I was able to showcase my athletic ability. I moved even better at Pro Day.
JM: I also feel like a high football IQ is at the center of your game.
Hayden Conner: I personally think high football IQ and being extremely coachable are my two biggest strengths. I wouldn’t have been able to play all five offensive line positions if I didn’t know what I was doing, or if I didn’t have the film study habits I have.
I know how to prepare for opponents. I take great care of my body as well. I give a lot of credit to the guys around me. Kelvin Banks Jr., Jake Majors, Cameron Williams, watching how they played their positions, it was easy to watch them and fill a role if needed. I was trying to rep [replicate] them.
I relied a lot on our phenomenal coaching staff. We had opportunities in practice to prepare for any and all in-game scenarios.
JM: Speaking of, have teams discussed positional versatility with you, or is it mostly guard?
Hayden Conner: We’ve definitely been talking about versatility. More than half of the teams I’ve spoken to think I can play both guard and center. I’ve told them I can play tackle as well. I’ve only had a few snaps there on film, but I can play as an emergency tackle if needed.
I’m definitely an inside guy, though.
JM: You’re definitely playing all three interior positions. What was your favorite play to run in the playbook? Something you got excited about in the huddle. The Texas offense was so explosive this past season.
Hayden Conner: We ran so many screens. Anytime a screen got called, I knew it was our chance to show that not only are we really big, but we’re also really athletic as offensive linemen (laughs). We loved a slower-developing screen that took a little longer to set up. That ended up being one of our better screens.
Any type of screen play-call that allowed us to get out in space was my favorite.
JM: It was a lot of fun to watch you hit those on tape. Do you have any team visits or workouts coming up?
Hayden Conner: I’ve met with a bunch of teams. I met with nearly every team informally at the NFL Combine. Recently, I’ve done Zooms with the Commanders and Colts. I met with the Cowboys, Texans, Bears, Giants in person at Pro Day.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time. What kind of impact is Hayden Conner going to make at the next level?
Hayden Conner: I’m going to be a great fit for the organization that drafts me. I’m going to buy into our culture and try to help raise the standard. That’s just who I am. I want to be somebody my teammates can rely on.
I’m going to set the standard by example, but I’m a vocal leader as well.
