The Giants’ Brian Burns trade made their future at outside linebacker fairly clear. Burns landed a top-market extension upon being dealt to New York, and he has formed a quality tandem with Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose rookie contract can run through 2026 via the fifth-year option.
Other clubs have noticed the Giants’ plan, which has led to conversations about Thibodeaux’s current fill-in. Drafted during Dave Gettleman‘s final offseason in charge, Azeez Ojulari is having an intriguing contract year. With Thibodeaux likely to be back from a wrist injury in November, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates teams are expected to reach out to the Giants about their OLB3’s availability.
Clubs have already done some background work on Ojulari, a former second-round pick. Teams showed interest in Ojulari in August, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. With nearly two weeks remaining until the deadline, interest in the fourth-year pass rusher should pick up, as the Georgia product has put together a bounce-back start.
The Giants have seen their top rotational rusher fill in for Thibodeaux well, recording three sacks over the past two games as a starter. Thibodeaux only needs to miss two more contests; the former top-five pick returning would shuttle Ojulari back to a bench role. The Giants may not be too keen on selling just yet, as Ojulari is a key role player who is starting during a pivotal stretch for the struggling team. But New York is now 2-5 and coming off a one-sided (thanks largely to Saquon Barkley) defeat against Philadelphia. Calls about Giant players figure to pick up soon.
Ojulari, 24, showed plus pass-rushing form as a rookie, racking up eight sacks. The Gettleman years had not seen much in the way of investments on the edge until the Ojulari pick, with Joe Schoen‘s predecessor having dealt away Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon and not allocated much in the way of resources to replace them. Ojulari compiled 13.5 sacks over his first two seasons, reaching 5.5 in just seven games in 2022. But he totaled only 2.5 in 11 games last season, the second straight campaign that featured an Ojulari IR stint. The former No. 50 overall pick missed 16 games between the 2022 and ’23 seasons, partially pushing the Giants to upgrade via Burns.
Dexter Lawrence is the Giants’ runaway sack leader, with nine; the last part of the 2019 Odell Beckham Jr. trade still in place is certainly untouchable. Burns joins Ojulari with four, as the Giants — for all their issues elsewhere on the roster — have improved their pass rush. The Giants’ 31 sacks pace the NFL by three.
Should New York’s descent continue up until the Nov. 5 deadline, the team will likely consider dealing away pieces. Darius Slayton also figures to draw interest, having gone through a contract issue this offseason — one that concluded with only incentives added to a through-2024 deal. The Giants will need to weigh offers, but if Ojulari keeps up this pace, he will likely price himself out of the team’s post-2024 plans in free agency. Weighing a return now against a 2026 compensatory pick — for a GM who may be moving toward the hot seat — will be part of the Giants’ process as well.
