The New York Giants grabbed Connelly with the 143rd pick in the draft, which came as a bit of a surprise with Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson still on the board. Connelly was a walk-on at the University of Wisconsin and is labeled as a player, who may not be as a talented as his competitors but always out works them regardless.
The 6″3 242 pound Connelly, started 26 out of 52 career games at Wisconsin, where he recorded 251 tackles, with 29 of them coming for a loss. He also had six sacks and two interceptions in his Badgers career.