While there wasn’t much to celebrate last season for the NY Giants, the play of then rookie outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari provided the fanbase with some hope for the future. He finished the year with eight sacks, setting the new rookie record for the organization. He was a ton of fun to watch.
Apparently, Madden isn’t that high on Ojulari’s potential for this upcoming season. With Madden dropping its rating for this year’s version of the game, Ojulari was hit with a 75. Seriously? There’s simply no reason he shouldn’t be at least in the 80s. He’s not the only NY Giants pass-rusher who got disrespected, as Kayvon Thibodeaux’s number was also low.
Giants Madden 23 Edge ratings
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) July 19, 2022
Kayvon Thibodeaux 75
Azeez Ojulari 75
Oshane Ximines 70
Jalyn Holmes 68
Quincy Roche 67
Jihad Ward 66
Cam Brown 63
Niko Lalos 63
Elerson Smith 62
Madden rating for Kayvon Thibodeaux also isn’t high enough
While people are fired up over Ojulari’s rating, the fact that Thibodeaux has been hit with a 75 as well just doesn’t add up. This is the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft we’re talking about here. Despite Thibodeaux being sidelined during minicamp because of a hip issue, the fellow pass-rusher is going to light up the field once he suits up for the G-Men.
Thibodeaux was an absolute monster for the Oregon Ducks throughout his career, which has led to his former head coach Mario Cristobal saying multiple times that he thinks the first-year standout will be downright electric this campaign. Thibodeaux has high expectations and he’s hoping to smash Ojulari’s rookie sacks record for Big Blue.
Not many people out there have much faith in the Giants to be competitive this year and it’s clear with these Madden ratings that people don’t believe the team’s young playmakers will rise to the occasion in helping the organization turn things around. If you ask folks in New York and New Jersey, though, they know that Joe Schoen’s vision will come to light this fall and winter.
On top of that, those same fans know that Brian Daboll is the right man for the job. It’s been hard to keep track of all the bulletin board material for the NY Giants players this offseason, but the latest update from Madden sure is more than enough to be added to the list. People can keep doubting guys for the Giants – the outside noise doesn’t mean much to them.