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The New York Giants have found their pass rush duo of the future in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari.
Heading into the 2021 NFL draft, many believed that Ojulari was set to be a top pick. Unfortunately for the Georgia edge rusher, a leg issue was caught, leading him to fall down draft boards. Eventually, the Giants added him in the second round with the 50th overall pick.
During his rookie season, Ojulari was one of the few bright spots on this Giants defense. He finished the season with 49 total tackles, 8.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
Ojulari’s eight sacks became the new Giants rookie record. But his new teammate could be out to break the record just one year later.
Thibodeaux was recently asked about the possibility of breaking the record, and if surpassing the eight sack total was a reasonable goal or not. He made it clear that he wouldn’t be opposed to breaking Ojulari’s record.
Thibodeaux simply stated, “I wouldn’t not want it.”
During his days at the University of Oregon, Thibodeaux made a name for himself by getting to the quarterback with ease. According to PFF, he recorded 22.0 total sacks, 21 quarterback hits, and 73 total hurries over his three collegiate seasons.
When the Giants added Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, this is the sort of production they were hoping he would bring to the table. If can be this sort of force at the NFL level, this Giants pass rush will be in good hands for the foreseeable future.
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The Duo Of Ojulari & Thibodeaux
Ojulari and Thibodeaux could quickly become one of the most exciting pass-rushing pairings in the entire NFL.
Recently, both players have spoken out about each other, with each showing praise towards their teammate.
Thibodeaux has explained that he wants to “do everything better” than Ojulari.
During a recent conversation with reporters, Thibodeaux stated, “I told him yesterday in a meeting, everything he does, I want to do it better. Whether it’s eating, sleeping, or breathing, I’m gonna try and do it better.”
The two have clearly begun to help each other get better as Thibodeaux went on to say, “Just continue to set a standard and continue to chase it and create that competitive banter.”
With Ojulari just recently returning to the field, the two have only just begun to play alongside each other. But Thibodeaux is clearly excited to be playing alongside his fellow pass rusher.
When Thibodeaux was asked how it was to have Ojulari on the field, he stated, “Obviously he’s, you know, a great player and now that he’s really back, you know we get to have his presence, and we get to continue to build that team camaraderie. Yeah, it’s been great. I’m excited to keep it going.”
Ojulari has shared a similar sentiment towards Thibodeaux. Upon his return from his hamstring injury, Ojulari was asked what he had noticed about “number five”. Ojulari responded, saying, “Man, I like the way he works. He comes in every day, competes, works hard, you know, tries to push everyone. Just gets better every day. Head down guy, just coming in trying to get better and compete.”
The Giants have a history of finding elite pairings on the defensive front. There is a good chance that this duo of Ojulari and Thibodeaux could become the next great one.
The Rest off the Defensive Front
Outside of Ojulari and Thibodeaux, the Giants have assembled a solid group to get after the quarterback.
On the inside, they have two solid defenders in Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. This pairing could prove to be just as important as the duo on the outside eventually.
Williams is entering his eighth NFL season and his fourth with the Giants. Since being drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, he has appeared in 112 career games. He has recorded 404 total tackles, 53 tackles for loss, and 35.5 sacks.
Lawrence is the younger of the two, as he is just now entering his fourth season in the NFL. He has been a focal point of this defensive front since the Giants drafted him with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Since arriving on the team, he has recorded 145 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 9.0 total sacks.
With this group leading the defensive front, this Giant’s unit could regularly find themselves in the backfield. At the moment, they are just full of potential. But eventually, they could showcase just how talented they really are.
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