julian okwara

New York Giants Showing Interest In Second Round Edge Rusher

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New York Giants, Julian Okwara

Everyone knows by now that the New York Giants are likely focused in on a pass protector for Daniel Jones with their first round pick, although the possibility of a trade down has remained in the mix, but which position they’ll target in the second round is less clear. With the marquee prospects off the board in round two, the Giants are under less pressure to make a certain type of selection – but the second round is still a valuable time to fill some of the team’s holes, of which there are a number of.

One of the biggest holes is at the edge rusher position. The Giants will likely lose Markus Golden in free agency, and it remains to be seen if Kyler Fackrell will perform in his first season as a Giant. With the talk about Jadeveon Clowney to the Giants dying down, that leaves one main chance for the team to avoid a slide backwards in the pass rush – the draft.

There’s one player being linked to the Giants so far in the second round at the pass rusher position, and that’s Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara, the brother of former Giant Romeo Okwara. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Okwara is one of the players the Giants are interested in.

The Giants, however, apparently aren’t the only team interested. That’s not surprising, either. The Giants would be getting a decently consistent prospect in Okwara who had 5 sacks last season with Notre Dame and 8 the season before, and who appeared in the majority of the team’s games for the past three years.

Other teams may even think highly enough to draft Okwara in the first round, which is the prediction that the latest NFL.com mock draft made.

PROJECTED TRADE WITH 49ERS. Bill O’Brien is not afraid to go after (or send away) players. If he hadn’t broken his fibula in November, Okwara would have received much more first-round talk this year. If the medicals are fine, the Texans will view him as a strong and agile edge rusher for the foreseeable future.

There’s no guarantee that Okwara will be available when the Giants do select in the second round, though they won’t have to wait long to pick once round two begins. However, if Okwara is there to take, it’s an intriguing prospect for the Giants. Getting a first round quality player at a position the Giants need but can’t prioritize in the first round, after all, would undeniably be a win.

New York Giants: One mid-round pass rusher with high upside to consider

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New York Giants, Julian Okwara

The New York Giants barely addressed the pass rusher position this offseason, and that has been apparent considering their only signing was Kyler Fackrell on a one-year deal, who’s two years removed from reasonable production.

Fackrell racked up 10.5 sacks in 2018 but was replaced with better talent. The former Packer had worked with current Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who was then Green Bay’s linebackers coach. The hope is that Graham can extract the most out of Fackrell in the coming months, but there’s no guarantee that approach will work.

The Giants haven’t re-signed Markus Golden or taken a shot at Jadeveon Clowney, essentially replacing their double-digit sack man with Fackrell, who’s unproven. Now, they could take a chance on a player in the draft to add more talent to the spot, and that’s where Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara enters the frame.

What can Julian Okwara bring to the New York Giants?

Having suffered a broken leg in 2019, Okwara was unable to replicate his stellar 2018 performance, where he managed 8.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss in 13 games. He’s a solid option for Big Blue in the third round, as his injury last season will likely see him slip to the 99th overall pick.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein stated in his analysis:

The lanky edge rusher followed up an impressive 2018 with a slightly disappointing senior season that saw a drop in production and ended prematurely due to a broken leg. One look at his NFL brother (Romeo Okwara, Lions) should tell teams to project Julian as a bigger, stronger player with time. He has build-up speed up around the edge and carries an impressive closing burst to seal the deal, but he’s in desperate need of a rush counter to keep tackles guessing. He hasn’t shown a consistent ability to play the run, so his NFL success could generate a thumbs up or down based primarily on his ability to cause havoc as a rusher.

Stopping the run has been problematic for Okwara, as mentioned above, and developing that part of his game is essential. General manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge prefer run-stopping linebackers and interior defenders, which might suggest that Okwara doesn’t fit their scheme. However, converting him to an outside linebacker, which is a better fit for a lanky, fast pass rusher, might be the solution.

There’s no question that Okwara is capable of getting into the backfield, as 33% of his tackles last season were behind the line of scrimmage. With Oshane Ximines expected to take a more significant role with the Giants in 2020, Okwara would have the luxury of time. For that reason, he’s an intriguing mid-round pick for the Giants.

New York Giants: 3 round mock draft to fix the defense

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New York Giants, Julian Okwara

The New York Giants have holes left to fill despite allocating plenty of money toward the defense this free agency period. Signing James Bradberry and Blake Martinez was supposed to sure-up the cornerback and linebacker position, but those weren’t the only deficiencies the Giants faced in 2019.

The upcoming NFL draft represents an opportunity for GM Dave Gettleman to finally build a worthwhile defense, something the team hasn’t had in quite some time.

A three-round mock draft to fix the New York Giants’ defense:

1.) 4th overall

This is an easy one — Isaiah Simmons is the only option for the Giants a 4th with the assumption that Chase Young is off the board. Simmons is a self-proclaimed “defender” and can transform the defense into a more productive unit. His ability to play in the slot, mid-high safety, stop the run and rush the passer gives defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a player he can have fun with.

Simmons record 8.0 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss in 2019, proving he can collapse the pocket and get into the offense’s backfield. As one of the most physically gifted and intelligent (football IQ) players entering the draft, the Giants can’t miss on him, especially since Gettleman has never drafted an offensive lineman in the first round of a draft.

2.) 36th overall 

Here’s a bit of a different selection — Antoine Winfield Jr., out of Minnesota. Winfield is a stellar free safety ball hawk who can fill a void in the secondary the Giants have left open for years. Last season, they attempted to fill the hole with Antoine Bethea, who was awful in coverage and allowed seven touchdown passes.

The Minnesota product is a gritty football player with average athleticism and size, but he’s instinctually gifted and is in the right spot at the right time. A good coach who can improve his open-field tackling could make him a staple in the Giants’ defensive backfield for years to come. His seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 62 combined tackles should tell you everything you need to know about the stud safety.

3.) 99th overall

The Giants address the pass-rush position with Julian Okwara at 99 overall, filling a gap that was left in free agency after the team passed on Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden. There’s still time to sign a pass rusher, but Big Blue has minimal funds remaining, and the draft seems like a reasonable allocation toward finding another player.

Okwara is an intriguing prospect who has flashed talent at times but has struggled against the run and has picked up some injuries along the way. As the brother of former Giants, Romeo Okwara, he would bring a familiar aura around the facilities, but he’s still a raw talent with room to grow.

The Notre Dame product followed up a great 2018 campaign with a lackluster 2019, which saw his production topple after a broken leg ended his season early. Luckily, a broken bone will heal entirely, and it wasn’t a ligament issue. He can become a bigger, stronger player over time, and taking a flier on him at No. 99 would be a solid move.