Breaking news: The New York Giants Set to Land Their Former Second-Round Pick in a Blockbuster Deal.
By acquiring Brian Burns this summer, the New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen put themselves in a position to improve the pass rush.
The Giants have the opportunity to put together one of the more potent edge rush tandems in the NFL with Burns and former first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux opposing each other.
But the Giants’ pass-rush rotation may have a glaring odd man out after Burns was acquired by trading away a 2024 second-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers.
Is Azeez Ojulari Up for Trade with the New York Giants?
Azeez Ojulari, who was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, became a competent edge rusher very fast, although he was never able to establish himself as one of the best in the league at the position.
Now that Thibodeaux and Burns will probably get the majority of pass-rush duties, Ojulari might be considered disposable by a general manager and coaching staff who weren’t around when he was selected.
“General manager Joe Schoen and the Giants made their long-term plan at edge rusher clear this offseason,” writes ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. “They traded a second-round pick to the Panthers as the primary return for Brian Burns, who then signed a five-year, $141 million extension. With Kayvon Thibodeaux locked in on the other side of the defense, they have their two starting edge rushers in place for the next several seasons.” Ojulari is listed among the NFL players most likely to be traded.
That probably indicates that Ojulari’s future lies elsewhere. Dave Gettleman chose Ojulari in the last round of the previous regime in New York, and he had a great first season, recording eight sacks and thirteen knockdowns. Since then, he has only been able to get eight sacks in 18 games during the last two seasons due to injuries.
Ojulari is entering his third season with 16 sacks under his belt. In 265 pass-rush snaps during the 2023 campaign, he earned 25 quarterback pressures.
A team searching for a young, versatile rusher with upside might find value in Ojulari, especially considering that his salary this season will only count against the cap at $1.4 million. As Barnwell outlines, he might be more useful to the Giants as a means of recovering some of the draft capital Schoen gave to the Panthers this offseason.
