The Giants know they need assistance defending the run
The New York Giants have depth points alongside their defensive entrance. Dexter Lawrence had a supernova kind of 2022 season that solidified him as a prime defensive lineman within the league. Leonard Williams was dinged up for many of the 12 months and is ready to rely for $32 million in opposition to the cap; one would think about that might be negotiated in some method.
A tandem of Lawrence and Williams is greater than formidable, however the depth behind the 2 is troublesome. Jihad Ward, Nick Williams, and Justin Ellis are all free brokers. Ward was predominantly an edge defender for the Giants, and Williams landed on IR with a pectoral harm after the Seattle loss.
Ellis performed 362 snaps for Wink Martindale’s protection, nevertheless it was simple to discern that he was lengthy within the tooth. Henry Mondeaux and Ryder Anderson had been relied on down the stretch of the season; the latter has upside getting into his second 12 months, however the former is a replacement-level participant; neither must be enjoying over 150 snaps in a season, which they each did in 2022.
New York could flip to the draft to search out dependable depth items on the defensive position. They drafted D.J. Davidson within the fifth-round final 12 months, however a Week 5 torn ACL locations him behind the eight-ball heading into 2023. The Giants may flip to free company to bolster their defensive entrance, and 28-year-old Larry Ogunjobi is an possibility.
The fundamentals
Age: 29 within the 2023 season
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 305
Position: Defensive Line
Experience: 6 seasons
2022 stats: 16 video games | Tackles: (28) | Tackles for a loss: (7) | Stops: (23) | Pressures (30) | Sacks: (1.5) Missed tackles (6, 11.8 %)
The skinny
Ogunjobi attended the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl and made a implausible impression as a small faculty out of the University of Charlotte. It was younger Nick Falato’s first journey to Mobile, Ala., to witness the distinguished occasion. Ogunjobi shined in entrance of the eyes of many NFL evaluators.
Fast-forward six years and Ogunjobi has bounced across the AFC North. He performed his first 4 years with the Browns earlier than becoming a member of the Bengals in 2021. Unfortunately, he didn’t play in Super Bowl LVI. He suffered a season-ending foot harm within the Bengals’ Wild-Card Round victory over the Raiders.
Ogunjobi had one among his greatest seasons in Cincinnati. He recorded a career-high 41 pressures and seven.5 sacks on a one-year, $6.2-million contract. Until his harm, Ogunjobi had a number of pressures in each recreation relationship again to Week 9.
He then signed a one-year $8-million contract to affix the Pittsburgh Steelers, the place he recorded 30 pressures in 2022. He’s had 4 seasons of 30 or extra pressures, and he’s solely performed lower than 650 snaps as soon as in his profession, which was in his rookie season of 2017.
Ogunjobi suits nicely as a three-technique or 4i-shade, who can leverage his quickness to emphasize the angles of offensive linemen who’re making an attempt to execute their block. Ogunjobi has a superb first step and combines suddenness with energy on the within. He would make a superb third wheel to crew up with Lawrence and Williams on the Giants’ defensive position.
This play posted by Alex Kozora shows his energy, nevertheless it’s Ogunjobi’s quickness that could be very engaging. Ogunjobi may be out of the Giants’ worth vary for defensive position. New York could reset the defensive position market quickly with Lawrence, and Williams’ $32 million cap hit needs to be re-worked.
According to Spotrac.com, Ogunjobi’s market worth is at $3.4 million per 12 months; Spotrac has him signing a two-year, $6.9 million deal. I consider he’ll make greater than that, however I might entertain a contract that low for a participant with 178 pressures and 28 sacks in his profession, who remains to be enjoying at a excessive degree.
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