EAST RUTHERFORD — The Giants went defense for the fifth consecutive pick after their selection of quarterback Daniel Jones, choosing Wisconsin linebacker Ryan Connelly in the fifth round.

Here are three things to know about Connelly:

Tackling machine

Connelly is a tough, productive player who had 89 tackles, including 10 for a loss, with three sacks this past season. He is a former high school quarterback who walked onto the team at Wisconsin, and projects as a reserve linebacker and special teams contributor.

"It’s pretty surreal,” Connelly said. "Coming from a high school quarterback walking on at Wisconsin and now playing for the NY Football Giants, so it’s pretty crazy; it doesn’t seem real for me yet.”

Praying for good news

Connelly’s mother, Christi, was diagnosed with a tumor in her chest before Wisconsin's November 3 game against Rutgers, and tests revealed she had lung cancer. He started an online fundraising campaign to raise money for his mother’s cancer treatments, and the final one is scheduled for next Friday, the first day of Giants' rookie mini-camp, in which Ryan will likely participated.

Hop on the Islanders bandwagon

Connelly is the cousin of Islanders captain Anders Lee, whose team is in the second round of Stanley Cup playoffs. Now that he is on his way to the New York area, Connelly joked that he might have to jump on the bandwagon and get out to a game to watch his cousin.

Email: stapleton@northjersey.com

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