Orr would be a potential Day 3 selection for the Bills and is a very under-the-radar prospect. He was never extended an invite to the recent scouting combine. Orr is also a pretty undersized player for his position, at 6-feet tall and near 228 pounds. But he was an effective player for the Badgers.
In 2019, Orr was very productive, recording 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 78 stops overall. He earned second-team, All-Big Ten honors for his efforts. Orr is viewed as a stronger run blocker than pass defender, but the Bills could also consider him for a special teams role.
CHRIS. ORR.
Sorts his way thru traffic, keeps himself clean and DEVASTATES Justin Fields, who is a massive human being.
One of the best blitzing ILB I’ve ever seen. 11.5 sacks as a true ILB in the B1G
In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, the Ravens fill their biggest needs and get solid value in the middle rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft
We’re past the first big wave of NFL free agency for 2020. Big trades have been pulled off, signings have been made and the league has announced the compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft. All that’s left now is what will happen on draft day.
Here’s who he has the Ravens taking with those seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
1st round (No. 28): RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
While I still don’t buy that the Ravens will grab a running back this early, Easterling’s reasoning is pretty sound for grabbing Taylor here. For one, Taylor is a much better player than his late first-round draft status would indicate, making him a solid value. Secondly, it does fill one of Baltimore’s eventual needs with Mark Ingram now over 30 years old and Edwards on a one-year ERFA deal.
With bigger needs for the Ravens at wide receiver, linebacker and pass rusher still remaining, Baltimore might be better going after guys like Yetur Gross-Matos, Justin Jefferson or Patrick Queen, who were all still on the board at No. 28.
Wisconsin held its annual pro day on Wednesday as 11 former Badgers competed in front of NFL teams.
Wisconsin held its annual pro day on March 11th as 11 former Badgers participated as they continue to try and improve there NFL draft stock.
In particular, Wednesday was an important day for Chis Orr as he wasn’t invited to the NFL scouting combine in February. Wisconsin’s pro day served as his combine as he competed in the events that he would have if he was in Indianapolis.
With this being Orr’s first chance of demonstrating his on field abilities in front of NFL teams made it important that he turned in a good performance as he continues to work to hear his name called during the NFL draft.
The biggest drill for Orr that he needed to ace was the 40-yard dash as there are questions on how his speed will translate to the next level and if he can hold up. Orr was able to post a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, which was the same time Zack Baun posted in Indianapolis at the scouting combine.
Outside of Orr running a solid 40-yard dash time he also posted a 4.08 second in the 20-yard shuttle and a 6.99 second in the 3-cone drill. He also put up 20 reps on the bench press too.
Outside of Orr needing to have a successful pro day it was another chance for Quintez Cephus to improve upon his 40-yard dash time that he ran in Indianapolis. After running a 4.73 40-yard dash he ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash on Wednesday. Outside of catching passes in front of NFL teams that was the only other drill Cephus took part in.
Jonathan Taylor didn’t compete in any of the drills as he stood by what he did at the scouting combine.
Other Badgers to participate in Wisconsin’s pro day were Connor Allen, Jason Erdmann, Zach Hintze, Tyler Johnson, David Pfaff, and Travis Wiltjer.
Erdmann ran a 5.5-second 40-yard dash and put up 21 reps on the bench press. Johnson ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash time, a 4.15 in the 20-yard shuttle, and 6.93 seconds in the 3-cone drill.
Eleven former Wisconsin players will partake in the Badgers pro day on March 11th
Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst likes to break down a season into four phases. The first phase is winter conditioning, the second phase is spring football, third phase is fall camp, and the fourth phase is the season.
When it comes to the NFL Draft one could break it into four phases too. Phase one would be the college football all-star games, phase two would be the scouting combine, phase three would be the combination of pro days and private workouts, and phase four being the NFL Draft.
For the former Wisconsin players they are currently in phase three as the Badgers will have a total of 11 players competing at the Badgers pro day on Wednesday, March 11th.
The players are punter Connor Allen, outside linebacker Zack Baun, center Tyler Biadasz, wide receiver Quintez Cephus, offensive lineman Jason Erdmann, kicker Zach Hintze, outside linebacker Tyler Johnson, inside linebacker Chris Orr, defensive end David Pfaff, running back Jonathan Taylor, and inside linebacker Travis Wiltjer. Drew Rakers a long snapper from UW-Platteville will also partake in the Badger pro day.
Baun, Biadasz, Cephus, and Taylor were all invited to the NFL scouting combine in February and the four may not compete in all of the drills tomorrow as they may be happy with what they did in Indianapolis.
Cephus will likely run the 40-yard dash again as he posted a 4.73 second time. If he can improve upon his time he’ll likely ease concerns from NFL scouts when it comes to his speed.
The pro day will be particularly important for Orr as he wasn’t invited to the combine and wasn’t invited to play in any of the college all-star games.
Outside of the workouts, he goes on leading up to the draft this will be one of the first times Orr will have a chance to demonstrate what he can do in front of NFL teams. In particular, for Orr, he’ll need to run a good 40-yard dash time.
The NFL Draft will be held in Las Vegas starting April 23rd to April 25th.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Wisconsin linebacker Chris Orr
When your dad is a two-time Super Bowl champion, expectations can be high once you hit the gridiron yourself.
The football legacy of Wisconsin linebacker Chris Orr is off to a strong start, though.
A complete prospect who excels in every area of the game, Orr recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his football bloodlines, how playing for the Badgers prepared him for NFL success, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the linebacker position?
CO: I enjoy how smart you have to be to play this position. You’re the glue of the defense. Things happen at a fast pace at this position and you can’t be slow to react. You have the opportunity to play a role in every single snap. Whether it’s pass or a run, you have a role to play. You can make an impact. You might not be involved on a deep ball, but those don’t happen very often. Other than that you’re involved on a snap-by-snap basis. That’s what I love about playing linebacker.
JM: You come from a football family. Your dad played in the league, and won a couple of Super Bowls. Both of your brothers played football, as well. You’ve had a front-row seat to the ups and downs of football. What did you learn from watching what they went through?
CO: First of all, it taught me that hard work pays off. That’s one thing that gets preached to you when you’re a kid, but I had a chance to witness it. I saw them work hard to achieve their dreams. They never stopped working. You’re gonna love this game forever but that doesn’t mean that things are always gonna bounce your way. Things don’t go according to plan sometimes. That’s a lesson that extends beyond football. I’ve had my own experiences with adversity throughout my time playing football.
Seeing my family go through the ups and downs that football can take you through, I was going through some things myself. I feel like I’m prepared for anything.
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What do you enjoy more, dropping back into coverage or coming downhill in the run game?
CO: That’s a tough question. I’ll go with coming downhill in the run game. I enjoy people running right at me, trying to run through my face. Let somebody try to run me over. That’s what I enjoy. I enjoy the violence of football to be honest. Dropping back into coverage can be great as well. It’s fun to get your hands on the football in the passing game so that’s a tough decision, but I’ll go with the run game.
JM: Playing at Wisconsin afforded you the opportunity to play against some of the best competition college football has to offer. Who are some of the best players you’ve squared off with?
CO: Wow, that’s tough. I don’t wanna leave anybody out. First and foremost, our own running back Jonathan Taylor. He’s probably the best running back I’ve ever played against or even watched live. He’s the complete package. To top things off, he’s a great teammate and a great friend as well. I have to start with him.
I think that Nate Stanley is a pretty good quarterback. Not enough people talk about him. That might change in the future. Justin Herbert was great. The offensive line lists can go on and on. I tend to group those guys as a unit. My freshmen year in 2015, we played against Alabama in my first collegiate game. They had Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. I got to see how fast Tony Brown was. That was a big wake-up call for me. That let me know how much more work I had to put in, and I’m still working to this day. Those guys were dominant.
I’ve played against some great people. The Michigan defense was great. I wasn’t necessarily on the field against them but that Michigan defense in 2016 had Taco Charlton, Maurice Hurst and Devin Bush. It’s crazy, Bush is younger than me but he motivated me a lot. We’re pretty similar in size, I’m actually a little bigger than he is but we’re both considered to be undersized linebackers. Watching him play at such a high level as a rookie in the NFL, I can’t help but tip my hat to that guy and feel great about my chances.
Man, this is crazy. I can go on and on. Clayton Thorson was a pretty good quarterback. He went to Northwestern. If I asked anybody to name a single receiver he was throwing the ball to, I’m not sure anybody can do that. For him to put up the numbers that he did and lead them to compete for a Big 12 Championship, that says something about the guy.
J.K. Dobbins is a pretty great running back. I played against Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice during my sophomore year. Tre’Davious White was a great cornerback for LSU and he’s been great in the NFL as well. I’m probably missing some people, but I’ve played against some fantastic talent.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
JM: You’ve had so many great teammates throughout your time at Wisconsin, but if you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
CO: I would bring Mike Caputo, for a few reasons. First off, he’s crazy (laughs). Secondly, he’s one of the smartest football minds I’ve ever been around. I know he’s gonna put his body on the line. That was his game. He put it all on the line every single week. He kinda showed me the way. He made me understand how to lead the Wisconsin program. I’d definitely take him with me. There’s a lot of people I can take with me. I can take any offensive linemen I’ve ever played with (laughs). Jason Erdmann is another guy. He had the strongest punch that I’ve ever felt from an offensive linemen.
Man, that’s such a tough question. I’m taking all of my teammates with me! (laughs). I can’t leave anybody behind. If I can take just one, I’m taking Mike Caputo.
JM: Is there one NFL superstar that you’d love to play against?
CO: Oh yeah, there’s plenty of them. I would love to go up against all of the great up and coming running backs and quarterbacks. I would love to square off with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or DeShaun Watson. All of the young guys that you can tell are gonna be elite for years to come.
I’d love to get another shot at Derrick Henry. Running backs like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott come to mind. Anybody that has greatness in their future, I’d love to play against them. I’d love to test my game against those guys and see where I’m at.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Not a lot of people wanna tackle Derrick Henry.
CO: You’re right (laughs). But hey, it’s football. He’s basically a running back from the 1980’s that’s also really fast. It doesn’t make any sense. He’s literally like a defensive end playing running back.
JM: Why should an NFL team use one of their draft picks on Chris Orr?
CO: I think an NFL team should use one of their draft picks on me because I love the game of football. I know a lot of people say that, but I truly do. You really find out how much you love the game when you have it taken away from you for a little bit. I suffered an ACL injury in my past. When the game was taken away from me, I realized that the thirst and hunger that I have for this game will probably never go away. I’ll probably get into coaching one day. I just love the game of football. They’re gonna get a violent player. They’re gonna get a high energy guy that never takes a play off. It doesn’t matter if my lungs are about to explode. I play the game for more than just myself. I play for the team. I love my teammates. You’re getting a high character guy with a high football I.Q.
I’d be more than blessed if a team were to use a draft pick on me. That would be a dream come true. I would definitely shed some tears.
Wisconsin has four of its former players invited to the 2020 NFL Draft combine.
With the NFL season now in the rearview mirror, it is officially NFL Draft season and with the college football all-star games completed, the next step in the process is the NFL scouting combine.
Wisconsin had four players invited to Indianapolis in running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Quintez Cephus, center Tyler Biadasz, and outside linebacker Zack Baun.
The four will look to boost their NFL Draft stock as Taylor, Biadasz, and Baun are expected to be drafted in the top two rounds of the NFL Draft, which will take place over a three day period from April 23rd to April 25th.
With strong combines by Taylor and Biadasz, they could potentially be the first players selected at their respective positions. While Baun will look to build off of his Senior Bowl performance in Mobile, Ala. in order to solidify himself as a possible first round draft pick.
Cephus has the most work to do at the combine as the wide receiver class is strong. A strong combine and him interviewing well with teams should allow him to move up teams NFL Draft boards.
Chris Orr was not invited to the combine. Orr will still have his chance of working out for NFL teams whether that’s through workouts or at Wisconsin’s pro day, which still has yet to be announced when that will be.
The NFL scouting combine is set to take place in Indianapolis from Sunday, February 23rd to Monday, March 2nd.
As the NFL Draft draws closer, Badgers Wire is exploring draft profiles of those who have declared. The basic premise of these articles is to take a brief look at each player. Each column will take a look at each player’s football statistics as well as their physical statistics. Finally, we’ll give you a brief summary of what each player offers and where he can be expected to go in the 2020 NFL Draft. Next up is Wisconsin inside linebacker Chris Orr.
Start with the statistics: Orr enters the NFL Draft at 6 feet and 225 pounds. Orr was a consensus Second-Team All-Big Ten with 78 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He was a do-it-all player for the Badgers and he did it all well. Then there’s the pedigree. Orr comes from Super Bowl-winning stock. His dad was a two-time Super Bowl winning tight end with the Washington Redskins. His defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Jim Leonhard, is a pupil of Rex Ryan. As far as football acumen, he has it where it counts.
The folks at Gang Green Nation took a look at Orr and felt he would be a terrific fit for the New York Jets. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is still out for a verdict at this time. But for most players, just getting into the NFL is more important than where you’re drafted. The vast majority of the time, players are not in any position to dictate the terms of their draft, unless their name is Eli Manning. Orr isn’t the type of player to start a war over, relative to his draft destination. His attitude would be a perfect fit for the Jets and their blue-collar fan base. It really is an ideal match on many different fronts, football included.
There is a lot to like about Chris Orr… and there is a lot to work on with Chris Orr. Orr is not going to give teams the coverage skills of Zack Baun. He isn’t going to be the type of linebacker who can change the direction of a team, but if you put someone alongside him — someone like a Zack Baun, to be perfectly candid — Orr is the type of linebacker who can be the perfect complement on a team which is trying to shore up the middle of its defense. He doesn’t provide dominance, but he does provide dependability and stability.
Stay tuned to Badgers Wire for more on Chris Orr and where he is drafted.
How well did Wisconsin’s inside linebackers play during the 2019 season.
Wisconsin finished its fifth season under head coach Paul Chryst as Chryst improved his overall record to 52-16 and has a posted a 34-10 record in conference games. After not winning the Big Ten West Division title in 2018 the Badgers were back in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game as the West representative for the fourth time in the last six years since the Big Ten went to its current format.
In this Badgers Wire feature we will examine the play of Wisconsin’s inside linebacker from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:
Wisconsin lost two impact players in inside linebackers T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly as the two led Wisconsin in tackles with 113 and 89 respectively last season. In addition, Edwards 11.5 tackles for loss and Connelly’s 10 tackles for loss ranked first and second on the team not to mention Edwards had a team leading three interceptions.
Despite losing two high impact players the expectation was that the Badgers were going to simply reload with Chris Orr and Jack Sanborn officially taking over at inside linebacker.
Those expectations were correct.
As the previous season, the top two tacklers by the end of the year were Wisconsin’s middle linebackers as Sanborn finished with 80 tackles and Orr registered 78 tackles.
Orr outside of outside linebacker Zack Baun was one of the clear leaders of not only Wisconsin’s defense but also the team. Orr was able to find a way of consistently making impact plays for Wisconsin’s defense.
Orr who appeared in 50 career games started all 14 games for the Badgers this past season as he posted career highs in both tackles for loss (14) and sacks (11.5).
Orr’s ability to generate pressure up the middle complemented Baun well on the outside and made it difficult for opposing offenses to move the football down the field consistently against Wisconsin’s defense.
Sanborn who played as a true freshman made a nice jump from his freshman to sophomore season. Sanborn with Orr made it difficult to rush the football up the middle. Sanborn did a good job of diagnosing plays and then hitting the rushing lanes for him to execute at a high level.
Fellow inside linebackers Mike Maskalunas and true freshman Leo Chenal were able to make positive contributions on the inside too.
Maskalunas appeared in 14 games finishing the season with 16 tackles and registered 2 pass breakups and recovered one fumble. Chenal missed three games because of a head injury but still finished the season with 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble too.
2020 Wisconsin Inside Linebackers
Losing Orr will hurt as he was a great leader for Wisconsin as he had the respect of all of his teammates. But at the same time with Sanborn returning and the expectation that Chenal will slide in at the other inside linebacker position the Badgers once again should be set at the position like they have been the last few years. Maskalunas will return for his senior season as he’s a reliable player that the coaches can count on as he has a comfort in Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense. The Badgers will need to have a reliable fourth inside linebacker as that responsibility could fall to redshirt freshman Maema Njongmeta or Malik Reed, Jordan Turner, or Preston Zachman as the three will be true freshman. Turner and Zachman both enrolled early at Wisconsin, which will give themselves a good chance of seeing the field early if they can gain a comfort in Wisconsin’s defense.
What grades did Wisconsin earn in their 28-27 loss to Oregon in the 106th Rose Bowl Game?
Grading No. 8 Wisconsin’s 28-27 loss to No. 6 Oregon in the 106th Rose Bowl Game.
Offense: D
Four turnovers.
Simply put Wisconsin beat themselves on offense at times. Four turnovers all occurring in Wisconsin territory was a killer as Oregon turned Wisconsin’s miscues into 21 points.
Wisconsin fumbled the football three times as Jonathan Taylor, Danny Davis, and Anthony Lotti all lost fumbles while Jack Coan threw an interception.
The dagger came when Davis fumbled the football in the fourth quarter on a jet sweep as the fumble was forced by Rose Bowl Defensive MVP Brady Breeze and was recovered by Bryson Young. Oregon only needed one play to take the lead for good as Oregon’s quarterback Justin Herbert registered a 30-yard rushing touchdown with 7:41 to go in the game.
Davis was also called for an offensive pass interference call on Wisconsin’s last offensive possession of the game, which wiped out a first down catch by Jake Ferguson on third down. Wisconsin’s ensuing offensive play resulted in an incompletion on third and 20 forcing the Badgers to punt the football away with 2:54 to go in the game.
Davis’ 19 yards rushing was second on the team behind Taylor’s 94 yards rushing on 21 carries. Taylor’s 94 yards put him over 2,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season joining Iowa State’s Troy Davis (1995, 1996). Taylor also added 43 yards receiving on two receptions.
Taylor struggled to get into a rhythm on offense as the Ducks defense did well of containing him as he averaged 4.5 yards per carry as his longest rush was 18 yards against the Ducks defense.
With Oregon doing well of keeping contain of Taylor on the ground meant Coan attempted 35 passes, which was a season-high. Overall Coan finished the game 23-for-35 for 186 yards and one touchdown pass to Quintez Cephus.
Two of Coan’s favorite targets were Cephus (7-59-1) and Ferguson (4-44) as the two combined to catch 11 passes for 103 yards. Overall eight players caught a pass for the Badgers as half of the players who caught a pass registered at least three or more receptions.
Wisconsin’s offense at times struggled to get into a rhythm early in the game as the Badgers defense was able to set Wisconsin’s offense up with good field position when Jack Sanborn intercepted a pass giving the Badgers offense the football back at Oregon’s 27-yard line. But Oregon’s defense stepped up and was able to get off the field after three plays forcing for Wisconsin to settle for a field goal to give the Badgers a 10-7 lead.
Breaking down Wisconsin’s matchup against Oregon in the 106th Rose Bowl Game.
Wisconsin and Oregon played one of the most exciting Rose Bowl Games in recent memory as they set a variety of combined, individual, and team records in 2012.
Once again the Badgers and Ducks could give Rose Bowl fans another exciting game between the two teams.
After the Badgers lost in consecutive weeks to Illinois and Ohio State to close out October it appeared the Rose Bowl was a long shot for the Badgers. But Wisconsin put together a month to remember in November and played their way back into the Rose Bowl game.
While Oregon similar to Wisconsin had an ugly and unexpected loss to Arizona State in November before they dominated Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game.
In order for Wisconsin to have success against the Ducks defense, Jack Coan is going to need to show that he’s capable of beating the Ducks secondary, which is giving up 222.7 yards per game through the air.
Coan’s play over the month of November is one of the main reasons why Wisconsin was able to get the Badgers back to the Rose Bowl Game for the first time since 2013. Coan will need to be able to consistently complete passes on all three levels in order to make sure the Ducks can’t consistently load the box to stop the run.
If he can it should allow Jonathan Taylor to have success on the ground. Taylor was able to win the Doak Walker Award for a second consecutive season as he’ll be going up against a rush defense that’s allowing 106.8 yards per game.
Taylor will be the best back the Ducks have seen all season as part of the reason why they have had the success of slowing opposing rushing attacks down is because they’re averaging 7.2 tackles for loss per game. However, Taylor rarely if ever gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Taylor’s ability to continue to pick up positive yards has allowed him to only lose a total of 41 yards this season.
Taylor’s ability to continue to pick up positive yards will allow for Wisconsin’s offense to try and convert manageable third downs or even a fourth down if the scenario is right.
Defensively, for Wisconsin, the Badgers will need to find a way to contain Justin Herbert. Herbert likely a first round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft averaged 256.3 passing yards per game this season. Similar to Coan, Herbert was efficient with the football completing 66.6 percent of his passes on 272-for-408 passing with 32 touchdowns to five interceptions.
Wisconsin has been able to disrupt opposing passing attacks by generating consistent pressure in the backfield. That will be challenged against the Ducks as the Ducks offensive line has only given up 23 sacks this season.
Creating a consistent pressure will be key in order to try and slow down the Ducks offense. Considering Herbert has plenty of weapons to throw the football too.
Herbert’s two main targets are Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd as the two have both caught at least 50 passes this season and both have caught seven touchdowns.
Johnson leads the two in receiving yards with 818 on 55 receptions as he has been held without a catch only once this year, which came against USC.
Wisconsin’s corners will need to be sound in their defensive assignments and make sure to prevent Johnson and Redd from consistently picking up yards after the catch. If Wisconsin can have success in this area it will help prevent chunk plays through the passing game for Oregon.
Oregon has been able to create a balance on offense as the Ducks are averaging 183.2 rushing yards per game this season. Making it important that the Badgers defensive line finds ways of consistently creating rushing lanes for Zack Baun, Chris Orr, and Jack Sanborn to try and slow down Oregon’s CJ Verdell and Travis Dye as the duo are averaging 6.5 and 6.2 yards per carry respectively. Limiting their effectiveness on the ground will help make sure Oregon can’t consistently pick up positive yards against Wisconsin’s defense.
In the end, Wisconsin is able to create a balance on offense against the Ducks defense as Coan is able to find success against the Ducks secondary allowing for Taylor to be able to consistently pick up yards and for the Badgers to sustain drives. While Wisconsin’s secondary is able to limit the Ducks passing game and are able to create enough pressure against Herbert as the Badgers win 38-31.
