Josh Conerly- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect
With the Eagles, we know they love drafting 2 positions. We have already looked at several defensive linemen that could be on their radar. But let’s switch to the other side. because while OT is not an immediate need, they could start shopping for a Lane Johnson replacement. Could Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon be the guy?
Here Are 6 Things To Know About Josh Conerly Jr.
Great College Production
Production is a funny word for Offensive Linemen. Usually, it’s about how much stats you accumulate, but with OL, it is about how many stats you don’t accumulate, or better yet how much you stop defenders from racking up sacks.
Conelry played over 1000 pash rush snaps in the past 2 years for Oregon. He gave up only 2 sacks in that time. He also allowed only 4 QB Hits and only 20 Hurries. This past season he gave up just 9 pressures in 14 games
Multi-Sport Athlete
Before he was protecting the blindside at Oregon, Conerly also played on the hardwood. He was a 5-Star Recruit as an OT, but he also made some noise for Rainer Beach’s Basketball team.
Offensive Linemen need quick hands. And in a high school basketball game, he flashed those quick hands. Things were tight for Rainer Beach in an elimination game at the Hardwood Classic. The other school went on an 8-0 run to make it a 1 point game late. They needed someone to make a play on defense, and Conerly made a couple. He quickly racked up 2 steals and 6 points to boost Rainer Beach to a 15-0 run, and seal the win for his team.
“It’s funny how sometimes big things happen in small packages and sometimes small things come in big packages — and big Josh, those back-to-back steals built us back.”- Rainer Beach Coach Mike Bethea
Impressive Showing At The Combine
We know the Eagles love their offensive linemen to be freak athletes. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Lane Johnson are all known for their explosive athleticism relative to their position. Conerly fits that bill.
Conerly started out as an RB, which shows in how well he moves. He ran a 5.05 40 as a 311lb man, was the fastest Offensive Lineman in the 10-yard split with a time of 1.71 seconds, and had the 3rd highest Vertical Jump at 34.5 inches.
He earned a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 8.69 out of 10, putting him in the top 15% of all OTs measured since 1379.
Got Blown Up At The Senior Bowl
Conerly Jr was on the wrong side of a viral moment at the Senior Bowl. Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green ran right over him twice. And while everyone was sharing that clip and praising Green, it had Connerly’s name trending for the wrong reasons.
Still Stole The Show At The Senior Bowl Despite One Viral Moment
That said, those were a couple of reps from a week of practice. While this part did not go viral, Conerly actually got a heap of praise for his performance at the Senior Bowl. One anonymous scout said that Conerly was the best OL at the Senior Bowl.
“Conerly was the best offensive lineman out here. He carried himself like a pro. That’s a player ready to play on Sunday.”
Also, when D-Linemen and LBs got a chance to vote on who the best Ol at the Combine was, Josh Conerly won the vote. So don’t let 1 viral moment fool you. Conerly thrived at the Senior Bowl.
Takes Accountability And Learns
Conerly has 1 very bad day in 2023 vs Texas Tech. He did not give up any sacks, but he did get called for 3 False Starts. Oregon had 14 pre-snap penalties on offense in total that day. Something Texas Tech was doing had Oregon off their game, and Conerly was their number 1 victim. All 3 of his False Starts eventually led to Punts.
Dan Lanning tried to give his players an out by claiming some of it was on him for not helping the team adjust to the cadence of the defense. It was also Conerly’s first road start as a College athlete. But Conerly was not going to use any excuses. When he spoke after the game, he took full responsibility.
“That was all me and just my anxiety being too high. I just really have to take a deep breath and calm down. That’s something I just have to clean up by myself. That’s not on anybody else but me. I just really have to calm down and play my game and not think too much.”
All 3 penalties took place in the first 32 minutes of play. After that, he did not commit another penalty. More than that, he has cut down on his penalties since. Last season in 14 games he committed only 4.
“Once I really noticed how much it was costing us, like every time I had a false start we had to punt on that drive, so how negatively I was affecting those drives I had to really get myself together. I did take ownership for it and apologized to all the guys. Being the left tackle and being a starter like that, I have to hold myself to a higher standard and I can’t have such costly penalties like that.”
That type of attitude can carry you a long way. He realized there was a problem with his game, took the blame, and fixed it. Every one of these players in the draft will at some point mess up in the NFL. No one is perfect. But Conerly has the right attitude to deal with those mistakes, fix the problem, and make sure they never become a pattern.
It is that type of attitude that helped Jalen Hurts grow into a Super Bowl MVP after a shaky first season as a starter. Conerly seems to have the same mindset.
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