Oshane Ximines can become the NY Giants’ defensive X-factor
How does Oshane Ximines’ rookie season stack up with past NY Giants?
The rookie seasons of those talented NY Giants’ legends show humbler beginnings.
Osi Umenyiora entered the league in 2003 and played in 13 games for Big Blue, starting in only one. His rookie numbers were pedestrian, to put it gently. He only had one sack, which could be considered his big highlight. He recorded no QB hits, one forced fumble, and three tackles for loss. He had a total of 26 tackles, 18 of which were solo.
Mathias Kiwanuka, on the other hand, flashed his ability right out of the gate. He played in all 16 games and started in nine of them. He collected four sacks, four pass deflections, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He had a total of 53 tackles, an impressive 44 of which were solo. He also had six tackles for loss and 9 QB hits.
It’s good to see that Oshane Ximines was consistent with these players in terms of rookie numbers. Ximines played in all 16 games, like Kiwanuka, but started in just two, similar to Umenyiora.
He leads the trio with 4.5 rookie sacks and also collected nine QB hits. He had no forced fumbles but was credited with one pass deflection. He had 25 total tackles, 11 of which were solo, and 5 of which were tackles for losses.
It took Umenyiora and Kiwanuka two years before they had their arguably best seasons. In 2005, Osi started all 16 games, had 14.5 sacks, 71 tackles (13 of which were for a loss), four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. That year he was first-team All-Pro and entered the Pro Bowl.
Kiwanuka’s best season came in 2008 when he too started all 16 games. He tallied 8 sacks, 17 QB hits, and a safety. He also collected 51 tackles (12 of which were for a loss), two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Ximines’ rookie season is a mix between Umenyiora’s slow start and Kiwanuka’s hot start. And although he has yet to become the big-time threat, his rookie year shows he has the potential to be. Even for a two-time Pro Bowler like Osi, it took a few years to become a disruptive force.
The good news for Ximines, and for fans, is that he’s thus far in good company and his future looks like it will be bright.