PFF names Giants’ Azeez Ojulari as NFC breakout candidate in 2022

While NY Giants fans are excited about how the offense will look under offensive-minded head coach Brian Daboll, who did wonders with Josh Allen in Buffalo, the defense is arguably more intriguing given the talent it flaunts at all three levels.

The secondary is definitely a weak spot following the release of James Bradberry, but Blake Martinez should bring stability to the linebacker position and the defensive line could make serious noise if the pass rush steps up.

We all know what Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence bring to the table, and all eyes are currently on No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux after he amassed 19 sacks and 35 tackles for loss over three years at Oregon.

Of course, Azeez Ojulari could end up being better than all of them after his sneakily dominant rookie year. The 2021 second-round pick posted 8.5 sacks and 13 QB hits last season despite being undersized (245 pounds) as an edge rusher and he went out and put on 10 pounds of muscle this offseason.

So while Thibodeux is all the rage in East Rutherford, Ojulari is very much coasting under the radar as a potential stud …  or is he?

In a recent article, Pro Football Focus’ Kambui Bomani listed the former Georgia star as one of six NFC breakout candidates in 2022.

Is Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari poised for a breakout season in 2022?

Here’s what Bomani said about Ojulari’s potential to break out.

"The Giants have been slowly building up their pass-rush unit the past few seasons, including using a first-rounder on Oregon edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux in the 2022 NFL Draft.Last season, New York drafted Ojulari in the second round, and he didn’t disappoint, putting up a 17.8% pass-rush win percentage and 28 total pressures on true pass sets. While his overall grade underwhelmed (58.3), he had three 80.0-plus game grades in 2021. Now accompanied by Thibodeaux on the opposite side, Ojulari can use his athleticism and bend on second-tier linemen, opening the door for a breakthrough Year 2."

Bomani’s analysis presumably didn’t even include that Ojulari will be 10 pounds heavier as a sophomore.

At 225 pounds, the former Bulldog’s weight is now more on par with that of other pass rushers around the NFL. For context, TJ Watt weighs 252 pounds, Nick Bosa is 265 pounds and Myles Garrett is 272. Now, Ojulari won’t be so dependent on his quickness and bend around the edge to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

All told, Ojulari would qualify as a breakout candidate even if he didn’t tack on muscle this offseason. In 2021, he finished with a team-high eight sacks, which marked the most by a Giants rookie since sacks became an official stat in 1982, beating the 5.5 threshold set by BJ Hill back in 2018.

The fact Ojulari was that productive without a proper running mate on the opposite side of the line speaks volumes to his talent. Now that opposing offenses have to be cognizant of Thibodeaux, he should have more 1-v-1 matchups to exploit.

What do you think, Giants fans? Is the second-year pass rusher going to take the league by storm in 2022?

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