4 NY Giants players who must impress vs. the Jets

1. Pass-rusher Jihad Ward

When it comes to the pass-rush, the Giants are lacking a ton of depth and fans are hopeful general manager Joe Schoen will land a veteran in free agency. Because of this, it's imperative for the backups to perform well and remain healthy. With that said, Jihad Ward is back on a one-year deal and he's going to be seeing the field quite a bit in relief of Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The Oakland Raiders drafted Ward in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft from the University of Illinois. Throughout his professional career, he has spent time with the Raiders, Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, and Giants. Ward enters his eighth NFL season and second with the G-Men this year.

Last season, the outside linebacker made 43 tackles (28 solo), three sacks, two forced fumbles, and four passes defended in 17 games. After an impressive year, the G-Men re-signed Ward to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.

Ward is known for his bubbling personality and he's also a playmaker on the field. Wink Martindale and Coach Dabes will be relying on him this season to step up beind both Ojulari and Thibodeaux. Let's see how he does come Saturday night.

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