Matt Hennessy would like to make snap decisions for either Jets or Giants

INDIANAPOLIS — Temple center Matt Hennessy is expected to hear his name called on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, and he has personal reasons for wanting the Jets or Giants to be the team that takes him.

Hennessy attended New Jersey football powerhouse Don Bosco Prep and was a Giants fan. His brother Thomas is the long snapper for the Jets. If either team picks Matt Hennessy, it would be a dream come true.

“It’d be incredible,” Hennessy said this week at the NFL Combine. “I grew up a huge Giants fan. Season tickets. I went to every game, probably like through 2010. But then my brother is with the Jets, so that’d be awesome, too.”

It’s not that far-fetched for either team to take a long look at Hennessy. Both need to bolster their offensive lines. But the Giants' only pick on Day 2 is No. 36, which may be too high to grab Hennessy. They sent their third-round pick to the Jets in last year’s Leonard Williams trade.

The Jets have three picks in Rounds 2 and 3 — 48, 68 and 79. They have many holes to fill, but with general manager Joe Douglas being a former offensive lineman, it’s possible he could use two of his first four picks to improve the line.

The 6-4, 307-pound Hennessy is coming off a strong season at Temple and impressed at the Senior Bowl.

Hennessy was one of three finalists for the Rimington Trophy, given to the country’s top center. Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz won the award. But Hennessy was the highest-graded center by Pro Football Focus, after allowing just four quarterback pressures and no sacks in 826 snaps. Hennessy said his high school experiences gave him the belief he could play in the NFL.

“Playing against guys like Nick Bosa and Rashaan Gary, while those matchups weren’t favorable for me in high school, I definitely saw I could compete with those guys,” Hennessy said. “When I got to the college level, I saw it even more.”

Hennessy played right tackle in high school, and wasn’t heavily recruited. He said some Ivy League schools showed interest. But Hennessy was invited to a Temple summer camp before his senior year and caught former Owls coach Matt Rhule’s eye. Rhule, who left Baylor to be the head coach for the Carolina Panthers and had been considered for the Jets' and Giants' coaching openings the past two years, converted Hennessy into a center.

“Coach Rhule actually found me during one of the one-on-one sessions and ended up offering me a scholarship,” Hennessy said. “He was like, ‘I know you’re playing tackle now, but you have the ideal skill set for a center.’ ”

Hennessy started 36 games for Temple, one at guard. He said he could play across the line, but he’s most comfortable at center. Hennessy also believes playing for three different offensive line coaches and in three different systems, including a pro-style offense under Rhule, prepared him well for being an NFL player.

Hennessy also has his brother Thomas to help and advise him about what it takes to be an NFL player.

Matt said he’s “super close” with Thomas and called him “one of my biggest influences throughout my teenage years, coming to where I am now.”

Thomas Hennessy has carved out a career for himself after being undrafted out of Duke in 2017. He’s been with the Jets the past three seasons, and was signed to an extension through 2023 last year.

“There was no Combine or Senior Bowl for him, so with this part, I’m kind of on my own,” Matt Hennessy said. “But as far as once you’re on a team, just the business side of the NFL. How the organizations operate and how you essentially just need to add value to an organization. That’s how you remain on the roster.”