While the addition of Brian Burns was lauded by fans and media members alike for the New York Giants, it certainly put fourth-year linebacker Azeez Ojulari in a precarious position entering 2024.
When the former Georgia Bulldogs defender was drafted by the Giants, Ojulari was expected to come in and add to a ferocious pass-rush that was being rebuilt by Dave Gettleman. Of course, a ton has changed since Ojulari has come into the league, and there’s a myriad of reasons why his future in New York is murkier than ever.
Ahead of a new campaign, Dan Duggan of The Athletic took a look at every defensive player on the Giants roster, and how their season could look in 2024. When he got to Ojulari, it’s evident Duggan believes his future with the squad is totally up in the air. Could a trade be on the way for him?
Curious to see how Azeez Ojulari fits in this defense. Nothing wrong with just having a quality No. 3 edge rusher, but I don’t see how he gets many snaps with Burns and Thibodeaux being workhorses as the top guys. None of them have experience as an interior rusher and think all… pic.twitter.com/I9P7bvDok3
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) July 19, 2024
Azeez Ojulari feels like a forgotten man with Brian Burns in town for the Giants
"Ojulari's status is murky entering his fourth season. Bumped down the depth chart by the addition of Burns, Ojulari had a quiet spring, with his reps limited in some practices. It's not clear where Ojulari, who tallied eight sacks as a rookie in 2021, fits in this defense. He has no experience as an interior pass rusher, so it's not as easy as putting him on the field with Burns and Thibodeaux in a 'NASCAR' package. It makes sense to keep Ojulari, who has a $2.2 million cap hit in the final year of his rookie contract, as depth. But the possibility of a trade can't be ruled out."The Athletic's Dan Duggan
It’s easy to see why Ojulari would be the odd man out for the Giants. Despite his friendly contract, New York has Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence along their defensive line. That’s a lot of talent, and not a lot of snaps to go around per game. He’ll be hard-pressed to see the field for ample amounts of time week-in and week-out.
Additionally, Ojulari hasn’t exactly been forcing the Giants’ hand with his play. Perhaps it was Wink Martindale’s system, which famously isn’t friendly towards pass-rushers, but Ojulari’s sack-numbers plummeted over the last two seasons. After an awesome eight-sack rookie season, he only amassed 2.5 in 2023, while posting 5.5 in seven games in '22.
Ojulari could be a valuable protection plan in case Burns or Thibodeaux go down with an injury during the season, and he’s not costing a fortune. However, there’s always a possibility another team comes calling and offers the Giants a solid offer for a pass-rusher with what they believe is untapped potential. Injuries have been an issue for Ojulari the past two campaigns too, which could lessen the blow of him potentially leaving town.
Alas, time will tell what the future holds for Ojulari. While the Giants aren’t exactly shopping him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to get a notification that he’s been traded in the near future. Regardless, he has to stay healthy to reach his full potential in the NFL, and he hasn’t proven to be able to do that yet.