Ryan

Connelly

It’s a surprising move as Connelly, New York’s fifth-round pick last year, flashed with 10 tackles, two picks and a sack across four games before suffering a torn ACL. The Giants will undoubtedly look to have him recover on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

The injury will cost Connelly the remainder of 2019. It spells a disappointing end to what had been a promising rookie year for the former Wisconsin Badger, who tallied 10 tackles, two picks and a sack over four games including three starts for the G-Men. With Alec Ogletree (hamstring) also banged up, the Giants may need to bring in reinforcements to fill out their injury-depleted linebacking corps.

The injury is to Connelly’s right knee. Further testing Monday should confirm the diagnosis, which will undoubtedly end the rookie’s debut season. The fifth-round Wisconsin product had played well this year, submitting 10 tackles, two interceptions and one sack across 187 defensive snaps. David Mayo is the leading candidate to fill his post at middle linebacker.

Connelly (6’2/242) walked onto the Badgers’ football team and went on to make 26 starts, tallying 29 career TFLs with six sacks and two forced fumbles at middle linebacker. Although Connelly never earned higher than third-team B1G recognition at Wisconsin, he turned in plus Combine results in the forty (4.66) and three-cone drill (7.09), exhibiting NFL-caliber athleticism. Connelly offers big-league size and movement skills and is a sleeper to earn a defensive role after paying early-career dues on special teams.

Connelly (6’2/242) walked onto the Badgers’ football team and went on to make 26 starts, tallying 29 career TFLs with six sacks and two forced fumbles at middle linebacker. Although Connelly never earned higher than third-team B1G recognition at Wisconsin, he turned in plus Combine results in the forty (4.66) and three-cone drill (7.09), exhibiting NFL-caliber athleticism. Connelly offers big-league size and movement skills and is a sleeper to earn a defensive role after paying early-career dues on special teams.

Connelly (6'2/242) turned in an averaged performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, producing a 53rd percentile SPARQ athletic composite score among linebackers. Zierlein believes Connelly is “not big enough to play SAM and he’s not fast enough to play WILL” so will likely end up as a “smaller/slower 3-4 or 4-3 inside backer.” Connelly is a former walk-on who ended up as one of the most productive players on Wisconsin’s defense. Zierlein graded him as a potential back-up and will likely be a late-round selection or UDFA.

Connelly is a former walk-on who has become one of the more productive members of the Wisconsin defense, and was on the preseason Butkus Award watch list. He made 89 tackles last year after making 88 the previous season, and he had three tackles for loss in each season. He projects as a late-round pick at this point, but his production in the Big Ten will certainly keep him on radars.