The New York Giants seem to have struck gold in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Gmen had two picks in the fifth round, and so far, it looks like they hit on both of them. Their first fifth-round pick, Darius Slayton, has been the team’s most dependable and electric receiver this season, leading all rookies with 8 touchdown receptions.
The Giants’ second pick in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft was linebacker Ryan Connelly. Connelly had an excellent start to the season before having his rookie campaign cut short due to a gruesome knee injury. The Giants’ weak linebacker corps will be excitedly anticipating the return of Ryan Connelly in 2020.
Ryan Connelly’s Impressive Start to the 2019 Season
Before going down with a knee injury in Week 4, Ryan Connelly was an impact player on defense. Connelly had a combined total of 20 tackles through 4 games with 2 tackles for loss, 2 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. He was making plays against the run and the pass. Quarterbacks had a quarterback rating of only 22.6 when targeting Connelly’s man in coverage.
Ryan Connelly’s Week 4 performance was exceptional. In that game, Connelly had 5 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss. He was also getting after the quarterback with 1 quarterback hit and 1 sack. On top of that, Ryan Connelly had an interception. This was meant to be Ryan’s breakout performance, but, unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL later in the game that caused him to miss the rest of the season.
The Giants’ rookie linebacker flashed his potential through the first quarter of the season. But heading into his second season coming off of a severe knee injury, is Connelly someone the Giants can rely on? It seems like he has enough talent to lead the Giants’ linebacker corps, but who could be a suitable linebacker to play alongside Ryan Connelly?
The Giants’ Second Linebacker
The New York Giants are almost certainly going to move on from Alec Ogletree this offseason. The veteran linebacker has been extremely inconsistent during his time in New York. On top of that, Alec is being paid as one of the NFL’s best as his position.
If the Giants are feeling confident in Ryan Connelly’s recovery in 2020, they could easily cut ties with Ogletree. But in a 3-4 defense, the Giants will need a second inside linebacker to play alongside Ryan. This player could already be on the roster.
Giants linebacker David Mayo has shown that he is a keeper. Mayo has not been great in coverage, but he has been stout against the run. Pro Football Focus has given David Mayo an overall grade of 73.7 with an elite run defense grade of 90.0. The Giants’ 2020 inside linebackers could already be on the roster.