Giants’ Azeez Ojulari may take on Justin Tuck-like role in 2024

The New York Giants have a lot of talent in their defensive front seven these days. It looks nice on paper with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bobby Okereke leading the way, but no one will know how good this group can be until the games start.

Deploying all of those resources this season will be new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. The Giants would like to have the four players mentioned above take the lion’s share of the snaps at their respective positions but they will need depth to make things work. They have it.

On Thursday, Bowen revealed a wrinkle for one of the more forgotten players on the Giants’ roster — linebacker Azeez Ojulari.

Welcome back, NASCAR.

An interesting nugget: DC Shane Bowen mentioned Azeez Ojulari as an option on the interior of the defensive line.

This would possibly be in pass-rush situations. Giants have had success in the past using young edge guys on the interior as well. pic.twitter.com/q9RILN9lyz

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 15, 2024

Ojulari was a second-round pick out of Georgia back in 2021 but his last two seasons have been ruined by injuries. The Giants had to draft over him with Thibodeaux and then added Burns via a trade.

Ojulari will assume a role that could be similar to that of Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka back in the last decade when the Giants were winning Super Bowls. The strategy is to get as many of your top pass rushers on the field a the same time.

Ojulari, when healthy, can rush the passer with the best of them. Again, when healthy. With Thibodeaux and Burns on the field, he is being wasted on the sidelines. He’s better than a backup. Bowen sees that and is looking to use him in

“There’s only two edges,” Bowen said. “When it comes to passing situations, finding your best four — whoever that is, however we gotta coordinate — to get to the quarterback. It gives you a lot of versatility.”

And Ojulari is one of those four. The Giants haven’t gotten a lot out of him thus far in his career. Maybe this move will change that.