Azeez Ojulari is one of the last remaining holdovers from the tenure of former New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman.
The second-round edge rusher has also disappointed during his time in New York and has since been replaced by first rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux and trade acquisition Brian Burns — two additions that were made by current GM Joe Schoen and his team. For these reasons, plus the fact that Ojulari’s rookie contract expires after the 2024 season, it’d make sense for Big Blue to send the 24-year-old to a franchise in need of a pass rusher before the deadline.
On September 16, Bleacher Report analyst Alex Ballentine pitched the Baltimore Ravens as the perfect trade partner.
“The Ravens might have to make a bold move to help out their pass rush if they want to achieve their goals this season,” Ballentine explained. “The group was already shallow going into the season before Kyle Van Noy fractured his orbital bone and Adisa Isaac popped up on the injury report this week.”
The writer concluded that “trading for Azeez Ojulari, who is in a contract year for a rebuilding Giants team, could give them another young pass-rusher with upside to chase quarterbacks.”
Big Blue could also give promising youngster Benton Whitley a longer look as a backup outside linebacker if Ojulari is no longer on the roster.
Conditional Draft Capital Makes Sense as Giants’ Trade Compensation for Azeez Ojulari
The G-Men are unlikely to get a lot back in an Ojulari deal, but they might get a conditional draft pick. Considering they’re 0-2 with the third worst Super Bowl odds on FanDuel Sportsbook as of September 18, that’s a worthwhile return in itself.
As Ballentine alluded, Ojulari is playing out a walk year and the Ravens would provide an opportunity for usage. That’s good news for the Giants, because said conditions of any draft compensation would likely rely on a realistic path to playing time.
In other words, if Ojulari is leaving in March anyway — and he probably is after the events of the past two years — why not get something back for him? And if your best possible return is a conditional pick, why not send him somewhere that he can actually cash in on it?
Baltimore matches up as a possibility in that regard, as do two other NFL franchises.
Raiders & Buccaneers Called ‘Potential Suitors’ for Giants Edge Rusher Azeez Ojulari
Bleacher Report colleague Kristopher Knox also included Ojulari as a Week 3 trade candidate during an article on September 18.
“With Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns now leading the pass rush, Ojulari simply doesn’t have a critical role in the defensive game plan,” Knox reasoned. “Ojulari has played just 36 percent of the defensive snaps through two weeks this season.”
Despite this, the analyst noted that Ojulari’s draft status and 16.0 career sacks give him trade value. And to him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders line up as optimal landing spots.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be interested in adding an edge-rusher like Ojulari if the opportunity is there,” he wrote. “Tampa’s bend-but-don’t-break style of defense has helped deliver a 2-0 record, but its pass rush has been underwhelming. The Buccaneers are tied with the [Washington] Commanders and [Carolina] Panthers with a league-low two sacks through two games.”
As for the Raiders, the connection with former Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham might entice Las Vegas enough to take a flyer. Ojulari recorded a career-high 8.0 sacks inside Graham’s system in 2021.
The Raiders also have a lack of depth at the position with defensive end Malcolm Koonce (knee) on the injured reserve, according to Knox. “Despite having a star sack artist in Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas has notched just three sacks through two games,” the writer relayed.
It might be time for the Giants to make a few calls involving the former second-round talent.
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