It’s been years since the NY Giants have had the disruptive pass rusher that gives strength to its defense. Oshane Ximines could be the player to bring that back.
Pro Football Talk’s recent rankings placed the NY Giants at 29th overall in the league in terms of overall talent. The logic is sound, but the rankers are underestimating the value of the Big Blue’s defense.
No fan should be totally surprised at the low rating after the dumpster fire that has occurred on the field the past few years. And although the NY Giants lacked a standout star on defense, the team made improvements from its defensive-heavy draft of 2019.
The 2019 draft was filled with run stoppers on the defensive line who helped allow the fewest rush yards per game (113.3) for the NY Giants since 2016, according to data from NFL.com. Stopping the run is step one for a team to improve its pass rush; the Giants also had a five-year high in sacks in 2019, with 36.
The improvement was enough promise in Dave Gettleman’s eyes that the NY Giants did not draft a single defensive lineman in 2020.
While the rookie standout of the 2019 class is rightly Dexter Lawrence, who is the type of run-stopper to disrupt an offensive line’s blocking scheme, Oshane Ximines has the potential to become the “punch” that Pro Football Talk thinks the NY Giants lack.
Let’s take a look at how Oshane Ximines’ rookie season and future prospects compare to former NY Giants greats to evaluate how he may turn out.
Oshane Ximines shows glimpses of previous NY Giants pass-rushing greats
Watching Oshane Ximines this past season, a few distinguished former NY Giants came to mind: Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka. Both players were on the two superb defenses that paved the way to the Big Blue’s two recent Super Bowls titles.
Osi was a two-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro during his time in New York. Kiwanuka, unfortunately, never received such recognition, probably a symptom of being a player on a team with other All-Stars like Michael Strahan, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Justin Tuck, just to name a few.
But Kiwanuka should not be forgotten. Aside from the fact he is a two-time Super Bowl champion, his ability to play on both the d-line and as a linebacker helped shape the image of the Giants’ defense.
An offense can’t block everyone and having a versatile player like Kiwanuka helped expose holes and rack up sacks. That’s what we’re hoping 2019 third-round draft pick, Oshane Ximines, can turn into.
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.