And then there was one.
Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari is not only the last remaining Giants player from former general manager David Gettleman’s 2021 draft fiasco, but he’s also the last player on the 90-man roster that Gettleman’s successor, Joe Sean, didn’t acquire or re-sign.
But the Giants essentially made the decision in the offseason to reduce Ojulari’s role, trading for two-time Pro Bowl selection Brian Barnes to fill the starting role opposite Kayvon Thibodeau.
Ojulari recorded 13.5 sacks through his first 24 career games, but missed six games last season due to injury, on top of the 10 he missed the previous season, and his sack total dropped to 2.5 in 11 games.
“When I go out there, I’ve got to produce, stay healthy, get to the quarterback, make TFLs and do what I can. [tackles for loss]”I want to play the way I used to play,” Ojulari told the Post. “I’m going to get myself back and show it. The way last season ended was not how I wanted it to end at all. It made a bad impression on me and I took that to heart. I thought, ‘I can’t do that again.’ I can’t do that again going forward.”
One reason for optimism is that Ojulari believes hiring a chiropractor this offseason could help him pinpoint the cause of his chronic lower-body injuries (calf, quad, ankle and hamstring).
“My hips were not aligned. Something was wrong. One hip was longer than the other,” Ojulari said. “If I continue to do that training, it will help me get more balanced. This will help me stay on the field.”
Instead of sulking about the lost snaps, Ojulari looked for the positives as the Giants worked with Barnes to earn 46 career sacks in 80 games.
“When I played against Barnes after my rookie year, I tried to take cues from him,” Ojulari said. “I love his style of play, and now that he’s on my team, I can learn from him. Anything I can learn from his game, I’ll take it and improve my own game. I’ve seen what he’s done in this league, and I want to reach that level.”
Mutual respect grows rapidly.
“It’s something that comes very naturally to him,” Barnes said. “I think he’s very talented. He’s got really long arms and he has natural leverage, so he’s a great pass rusher for his size. So far, he’s done a great job and I have high expectations for him this year.”
If Ojulari is healthy and in the starting rotation, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen could avoid putting too much strain on Thibodeau and Barnes and have fresh pass-rushing legs to use in the fourth quarter.
Or, if they determine that Rakeem Nunez-Roche, Jordan Phillips, Jordan Riley and Ryder Anderson aren’t pushing the pocket next to Dexter Lawrence, they could design a scheme to move one edge inside and get all three on the field at the same time.
“I think it really depends on where we are internally. [at defensive tackle]”It’s going to be a matter of how that competition plays out,” Bowen said. [my] “In my days at Houston and in my early days at Tennessee, we’ve had a middle-of-the-road hybrid type of guy come in as a fourth rusher and help the team. We have the ability to do that.”
Ojulari, the No. 3 edge rusher, is better than Jihad Ward was the past two seasons.
With Lawrence on the team, the pass rush is expected to be the Giants’ biggest strength on both offense and defense.
“You can’t run away,” Ojulari said. “We have to go out there and prove it. We have to dominate every game and set the tone. This is a league that produces results and you have to show it. We have the players to do it and we’ll take pride in it and take advantage of it.”
While Ojulari was in Atlanta alongside his brother, B.J., a Cardinals edge rusher, taking yoga classes, sauna sessions and “any kind of recovery to keep my body going,” it was all in his head.
BJ has already suffered a gruesome injury, tearing his ACL during practice last week and meaning he’s out for the season.
Being fully healthy in his contract year could change Aggies’ future outlook.
“Don’t forget,” he said, “but this is another opportunity to keep growing step by step every day. Don’t look too far ahead, don’t look too far back. That’s what I’m doing right now. Keep going.”
