Hayden Conner

Hayden Conner (born April 26, 2002) is an American professional football guard for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life Conner was playing football already in the 7th grade, benefiting from large stature and weight. Conner attended James E. Taylor High School in Harris County, Texas, and was rated as a four-star recruit in the class of 2021 before committing to play college football for the Texas Longhorns.

College career As a freshman in 2021, Conner appeared in eight games for the Longhorns. He took over a starting guard position, where he started for all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Texas. During the 2024 season, Conner was named to the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and was a Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist for his support of animal shelters in the Austin area, as well as a number of other volunteer efforts. After the season, he declared for the 2025 NFL draft.

Professional career

Conner was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 211th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Conner signed his four-year rookie contract worth $4.37 million. He was placed on injured reserve on August 26, 2025. Conner was activated on November 29, ahead of the team's Week 13 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He made his NFL debut in Week 13, playing four snaps on special teams.