New York Giants: Ryan Connelly Is Earning First-Team Reps

The New York Giants’ defense was one of the league’s worst in 2018. The Giants were poor against both the run and the pass. Big Blue allowed 252.8 passing yards per game (23rd in the league) and 118.6 rushing yards per game (20th in the league).

Much of the blame for the Giants’ poor defensive blame has been placed upon the shoulders of the linebacker corps. The Giants have had a poor linebacker corps for years now. Fortunately, it appears that the Giants have found some solid, young talent at the linebacker position.

The Giants’ fifth-round pick of the 2019 NFL Draft was linebacker Ryan Connelly out of Wisconsin. Connelly was initially looked at as a questionable selection. However, Ryan has answered a  few questions this summer and is now looking like a potential starter.

Training Camp Highlights

Ryan Connelly began to see first-team reps this week during practice. Connelly received these reps while filling in for B.J. Goodson who was not practicing because he is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Connelly has racked up a couple of sacks and pass breakups during camp so far. He also nearly had an interception on Daniel Jones, but was unable to secure the catch. Ryan has had a solid camp in both run defense and pass defense so far.

His solid play with the second-team has earned him first-team reps and many Giants fans and the coaching staff are excited to see what he can do. Connelly himself is also very excited to be seeing first-team reps.

Ryan Connelly looks at these reps as a way to show that he belongs. Connelly stated “But at the end of the day, I’ve still got to go out there and execute, whether I’m with the 1s, the 2s or the 3s. Basically at this point, I think it’s all about execution, making sure I’m in the right place at the right time. You’ve got to earn that trust.”

Head coach Pat Shurmur has also seen good progress from Connelly and discussed it in a post-practice interview:

Collegiate Stats Highlights

Ryan Connelly was a quick linebacker with the ability to shoot the gap in run defense during his collegiate career. Connelly recorded a 1.54s 10-yard split at the 2019 NFL Combine which ranks third among participating off-ball linebackers that weighed in at 240-plus pounds since 2010. This demonstrates Ryan’s ability to get in the backfield and disrupt plays at a quick pace.

Ryan Connelly played linebacker at Wisconsin for four years, but he was extraordinary during his junior and senior seasons. As a junior in 2017, Connelly racked up 88 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. His 2018 senior season featured more of the same as Ryan totaled 89 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Connelly proved to be a reliable and consistent player during his collegiate career.

With the Giants linebacker corps being as weak as it is, Connelly could see reps as a starter in the regular season. His first-team reps in training camp could be a sign of things to come.