It's the wrong era for a star LB like Connor
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Connor finished his college career in 2007 with more tackles (419) than any player in Nittany Lions history. That includes a litany of linebackers like Jack Ham, Shane Conlan, LaVar Arrington and Paul Posluszny. All of them were chosen in the NFL Draft's first two rounds, with Conlan (1987) and Arrington (2000) becoming top 10 picks.
But being the most productive player ever at a school nicknamed "Linebacker U" didn't give Connor's draft stock much of a boost. Neither did winning the 2007 Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top college defender.
Connor wasn't selected last month until the third round by Carolina. That shocked fans, draft analysts and even Panthers general manager Marty Hurney — all of whom were convinced Connor was a first-day talent.
Connor now wonders whether his college pedigree actually worked against him.
"It seems like some linebackers out of Penn State are being stereotyped," Connor said this week in a telephone interview. "We're getting put on that list as un-athletic linebackers."
That isn't a good designation in today's NFL.
The ability to excel in pass defense — whether in coverage, blitzing or both — has become the most sought trait in linebackers. Offenses threw at a 54.9-percent clip in 2007, which is the third-highest total in league history. The use of nickel and dime packages, in which defensive backs are substituted for linebackers, has subsequently increased. Many teams use their base defense on only 40 percent of their snaps.
"The league is so much about passing," New York Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "Teams are going to come out running on first down trying to make it second-and-six. If they don't get that, the next two downs are strictly passing.
"You've got to have linebackers that understand coverages, route concepts and (responsibilities) in nickel and dime. That's where your blitz packages really increase and get a little more complex."
Connor's performance in pre-draft drills — the Panthers clocked his 40-yard dash at 4.69 seconds — raised questions about his range. One personnel executive told FOXSports.com that he gave the 6-3, 231-pound Connor a fifth-round grade. The reasons: Concerns about speed and "tight hips" that may affect his pass-coverage ability.
"The first thing you always go to when you look at guys who may have fallen is off-season workouts and maybe 40 times," Hurney said. "But I don't know why this would have been the case with Dan. He is a very smart, tough, hard-nosed, downhill linebacker.
"Whether the 4.69 hurt him, I really don't know. But I do know I was very surprised he was there in the third round for us."
Connor also believes he was affected by the Big 10's long-standing reputation for run-heavy offenses. The five pure linebackers chosen ahead of him — Keith Rivers (Southern Cal), Jerod Mayo (Tennessee), Curtis Lofton (Oklahoma), Jordon Dizon (Colorado) and Tavares Gooden (Miami) — were from conferences perceived to be more pass happy.
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Even winning Defensive MVP honors for his squad at the Senior Bowl while playing against a diverse group of NFL prospects didn't seem to help Connor's draft standing.
"The Big 10 in general is still stereotyped as three-yard-and-a-cloud-of-dust football," Connor said. "But when you look at it, half the teams are running spread offenses.
"I've had people tell me that it's now up to me to work off any labels placed on me at the next level. That's what I'm trying to do."
Initially projected as Panthers middle linebacker Jon Beason's backup, Connor can draw inspiration from plenty of other players snubbed during draft weekend.
Forty of the NFL's top 41 tacklers last season were linebackers. Half of them were chosen between the third and the seventh round ... or not at all. In fact, there were as many second-round picks on the list as there were undrafted players like Pierce and Washington's London Fletcher.
"Teams are looking for size and freaks of nature who can run a 4.4 or 4.5," said the 6-foot-1, 238-pound Pierce, who initially signed with Washington in 2001.
"I may not be the fastest or the biggest, but I'm one of the smartest. I prepare week-in and week-out. There's nothing I won't know about my opponent or our defense. For everything I may have lacked in the scouts' eyes, I made up for it with my mental approach."
Although physical specimens still get chosen early, some teams believe other positions like pass-rushing defensive ends and cornerbacks have more value early in the draft. That represents a marked shift from 20 years ago when 10 linebackers were among the first 57 players selected.
The style of football was different then as well. The NFL's pass-run ratio during the 1988 season was almost even. Rule changes gradually led to more passing.
Carolina has used first-round picks on linebackers in two of the past four drafts. But while Beason (2007) and Thomas Davis (2005) have excelled, Hurney also acknowledges that "you don't necessarily have to use high picks there to get guys. There are a lot of linebackers picked later that are smart, tough and doing very well."
Connor will now try to become one of them.
"I don't know exactly why I slid," he said. "Maybe it's just that different teams have different needs. Maybe teams wanted a different style of linebacker than what I bring to the table. It's hard to tell for sure. But I do know that Carolina seems like a great place to end up."
Alex Marvez interviewed Pierce while hosting on Sirius NFL Radio, Channel 124, where he appears frequently as a guest host.
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