When Ryan Connelly went down in the waning moments of a victory over the Washington Redskins in week four of the regular season with a torn ACL, the New York Giants suddenly faced a reality they were not anticipating.
Having already designated their trust in several inconsistent linebackers, Connelly shot up the roster, overtaking Alec Ogletree and pushing BJ Goodson into the waiver wire after the pre-season. The Wisconsin product not only proved he can be a play-maker, but also a leader on defense who has the physical traits to become a quality starter in the middle of the field.
How well did Ryan Connelly perform with the New York Giants?
In just four games and three starts at inside linebacker, Connelly racked up 20 combined tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and two tackles for a loss. That would put him on pace for 80 combined tackles, four sacks, eight interceptions, and eight tackles for a loss in his rookie campaign. The best part about that prediction is how quickly he managed to develop into a starter on an NFL team.
Ogletree, who racked up the interceptions in 2018 with five, quickly fell out of favor with the Giants after missing tackles and failing to compete in coverage against tight ends. Connelly was stellar in coverage in the short game but also showed incredible instincts at the line of scrimmage.
Connelly was known in college for shooting the gap and stopping runners behind the LOS. With Wisconsin in 2018, he managed 10 tackles for a loss and 3.0 sacks in 12 games. Tearing his ACL undoubtedly sets him back in his progression, but this type of injury isn’t as significant to a player’s career as it once was. He will return to 100% health and has already been out of the walking boot for quite some time.
The Giants have a future starter at the linebacker position in Connelly. In the meantime, David Mayo has performed well, grading out as the 17th best linebacker in football this season (so far).
As per PFF’s Team of the Week:
LB DAVID MAYO, NEW YORK GIANTS
One of few bright spots in the Giants’ 19-14 loss to Chicago, Mayo recorded a 92.4 overall grade across 36 defensive snaps on Sunday. He recorded six defensive stops and one pass breakup on his one target in coverage.
An impressive game from Mayo who could earn a starting spot on the team with this type of performance. However, I estimate the Giants will pursue a premium linebacker in free agency or the NFL Draft to pair with Connelly. Retaining Mayo as a depth piece or situational option is a great idea, nonetheless.