Wisconsin Football: Chris Orr Shines at Badger Pro Day

Chris Orr, unfortunately, wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine but at the Wisconsin Football Pro Day, he was able to put on a show.

The NFL Combine took place two weeks ago now and the Wisconsin Football program had four invitees. Of course, this list included Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Biadasz, Quintez Cephus, and Zack Baun.

While the combine certainly isn’t everything when it comes to evaluating a player, it is something. And most importantly for lesser-known prospects, it’s an opportunity to showcase to NFL scouts and General Managers, what they can really do.

However, there was one Badger player in particular who didn’t receive an invite and it left many scratching their heads and asking, how?

And as I’m sure you’ve guessed, that player is linebacker, Chris Orr.

Orr has appeared in 41 games over his career at Wisconsin and that includes 14 starts during his senior season, which was easily his best. In 2019, Orr would total 78 tackles, including 14 for a loss, with a whopping 11.5 sacks and five pass breakups.

Alongside Baun, the duo had formed quite a formidable one-two punch at the linebacker position for the Badgers.

Orr’s 11.5 sacks would be tied for the 11th most in all of college football last season, he was named second-team All-Big Ten, and he was also a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. An award for a defensive player who has exemplified excellence both on and off the football field.

Yet, Orr still wasn’t invited to the combine.

That snub just added fuel to Orr’s fire and on Wednesday at Wisconsin’s Pro Day, he would put on a show. Below is how Orr fared in each event along with the other Badger players who participated:

Now for some context, Orr’s 4.65 40-yard dash time would have been tied for the 13th fastest time among the 30 linebackers who participated at the combine. And this was arguably his most important event as it was crucial for him to show NFL teams that he has good speed, which is something that was in question.

On top of that, his 20 yard shuttle time would have been the fastest, and his 3-cone drill would have placed 5th. Lastly, his vertical was the 7th best and his 20 reps on the bench press were the sixth most among linebackers. Overall it was just a much-needed and excellent performance from Orr.

As of now, most draft analysts will consider Orr a late Day 3 selection or he could even go undrafted. Orr isn’t going to be nearly as effective in coverage as Baun but he is solid against the run and has shown that he knows how to get after the quarterback. And in the right situation with a complimentary player alongside of him, Orr certainly has the potential to be an effective player at the NFL level.

We are still about six weeks away before the NFL Draft takes place, so there is still time for Orr to see his draft stock rise. And with his performance on Wednesday at his Pro Day, he certainly helped his cause quite a bit.

All stats via College Football Reference, ESPN, and NFL.com