Round 3, #95 Overall: EDGE/LB Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
Oshane Ximines did not live up to the hopes of many about him becoming a trustworthy pass rusher or breaking the cursed streak of failed NY Giants’ 3rd round picks.
Ximines racked up 4.5 sacks as a rookie in 16 games with only two starts. He was able to find some success despite playing in a part-time, limited role.
This year, Ximines was trusted with a starting spot and was counted on to provide some life off the edge for the Giants’ struggling pass rush.
Ximines only played four games in 2020 with three starts before suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4 that sent him on the IR. From there, the shoulder never recovered enough to return and the nagging injury got bad enough where it would require season-ending surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
In four games this year, Ximines did not provide much in the box score with only five tackles, three QB hits, and 0 sacks in four games. In his limited snaps, he looked like he was heading towards a possibly potent season and looked to build on a promising rookie season.
Year 2 Grade: Incomplete
2021 Role and Beyond:
The NY Giants would be wise to keep adding bodies and further build up their edge linebackers group. Neither Ximines nor Lorenzo Carter should be counted on as full-time starters after both players had season-ending injuries and haven’t lived up to their expected contributions as former third-round picks.
Both players are intriguing guys but seem to be talked about far more than seeing them actually making plays on the field.
Ximines will need to fight for a starting job again in 2021. At best, the team can hope he puts it all together as a starter in year three, and at worst he can still be a solid backup in a pass-rushing role.
A positive thing about Ximines is his versatility to be deployed all over the front seven at edge, linebacker, or on the inside on the defensive line. Ximines is a good player who faces a critical boom-or-bust season in this upcoming third NFL season.