Will Wisconsin LB Chris Orr Make the Panthers 53-Man Roster?
Following the 2020 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers signed 17 players as undrafted free agents. One of those who signed, is former Wisconsin linebacker Chris Orr.
Over the past couple of days, I have been in conversations with Sports Illustrated's Jake Kocorowski of AllBadgers.com about Orr and his abilities.
Today, he sent over some analysis detailing what exactly the Panthers are getting in Orr.
What Chris Orr does well (Jake's analysis):
During his time at Wisconsin, Orr combined on- and off-the-field attributes to finish his career on a high note.
In his final season as a Badger, Orr showcased his ability to be a presence in the opposing teams' backfield. Carolina will see a linebacker who possesses keen football IQ and speed that allowed him to rack up 14 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2019.
Though he may be a bit undersized in height, Orr demonstrated his agility and speed to all 32 NFL teams at Wisconsin's pro day in March. I wrote about this in my scouting report of Orr from late April, where he ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash:
"According to NFL.com's combine tracker, his 4.08-second 20-yard shuttle would have been tops among all designated linebackers who participated in that test. His 6.99 three-cone drill would have placed him fifth in that group, and his 36.5" vertical jump would have had him ranked eighth. He also bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times."
His leadership qualities were apparent early on in his career, and his presence during the 2019 season helped Wisconsin's defense rebound to once again become one of the best in the nation.
Case in point, placekicker Collin Larsh told reporters after an stunning upset loss in October, "Chris Orr is the best leader that I've ever been around."
Orr comes from a football family. His dad, Terry, played for Washington for seven seasons and won two Super Bowls. His brother, Zach, obviously played for the Ravens before needing to leave the game to injury. He'll come in and work, and I would not doubt him making the roster in special teams work based off of his physical prowess and great attitude.
What he needs to work on:
Honestly, I feel like he answered some of those questions at Pro Day, especially any questions about speed and agility. Orr noted during that March afternoon that Wisconsin's defense did not necessarily ask him to open up/run/flip his hips while working at one of the two inside linebacker spots.
That being said, I believe he will need to likely adjust more to being asked to other perform duties that were less common to him at UW to show the Panthers he has the ability to be an effective linebacker. He feels he has the versatility that can be an asset to teams. Now it is just going out and showing that more at the next level.
My analysis:
Orr is a bit undersized to play middle linebacker checking in at 6-foot, 225 lbs and will likely be asked to move outside. Although, I don't see Orr strictly staying in one spot. Matt Rhule is known for his positionless approach to defense and as rock solid as Orr was at inside linebacker at Wisconsin, he will be used there some as well.
With the lack of depth at linebacker, I could see Orr backing up someone like Brian Burns as an edge rusher. He has a knack for applying pressure in the backfield and causing havoc in the run game. Another possibility is for him to be on the other side learning and developing behind newly acquired Tahir Whitehead. With Whitehead being the more seasoned vet, expect Orr to closely follow him throughout training camp (if there is one) and the preseason.
Although the Panthers drafted all defensive players in the 2020 NFL Draft, they did not select a linebacker. However, they went linebacker heavy in undrafted free agency. Orr will have a really strong shot of making the 53-man roster and I graded him as having the best chance of the UDFA's to make the final roster at 65%. That percentage will likely increase the closer we get to the start of the regular season.
Do you think Chris Orr will make the 53-man roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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