The New York Giants have made an addition to their linebacker room, signing former New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent Anfernee Orji.
The New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard was first to report the news.
The signing comes right in the middle of the Giants’ OTAs, as the team is still feeling out its 90-man offseason roster.
Orji now joins Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Cam Jones, Darius Muasau, and Zaire Barnes as the other inside linebackers on New York’s depth chart, and it remains to be seen what his odds will be to make the final 53-man.
For now, he’s at minimum a camp body, and he’ll have a chance to make an impression with the Giants’ new defensive coaching staff.
John Harbaugh’s Infatuation With the ILB Position
It’s no secret that New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh loves his inside linebackers, maybe more so than other NFL coaches.
In today’s day and age, on-ball linebackers aren’t traditionally considered a “premium position.” Quarterbacks, wide receivers, offensive tackles, edge rushers, and cornerbacks are the spots you normally see NFL teams pay a pretty penny for.
But Harbaugh’s teams have always featured a strong investment at inside linebacker, and things with the Giants are no different.
“The inside linebacker isn’t always considered a value position, but you can’t stop the run without an inside linebacker making tackles in the middle, right? You can’t do it. So, that becomes pretty important,” Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Throughout his 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh always made sure to have an elite talent at inside linebacker.
He inherited eventual Hall of Famer Ray Lewis at the start of his tenure, and invested first-round draft capital into C.J. Mosely and Patrick Queen in the 2014 and 2020 NFL Drafts.
In 2022, the Ravens traded two premier draft picks for former Chicago Bears first-round pick Roquan Smith.
The trend continued in 2026, when the Giants drafted a hybrid linebacker in Arvell Reese, who will hopefully become a prominent duo with Tremaine Edmunds.
Who knows how Orji will turn out in New York, but if Harbaugh has interest in him, there must be something to his game.
Anfernee Orji’s Path to the NFL
Before eventually making his way to the New York Giants, Orji had a wide and ranging path through college football and the pros.
A three-star recruit out of Rockwall High School in Texas, Orji committed to play for Vanderbilt and spent all four years of his college career with the Commodores.
He led the team in tackles in both his junior and senior seasons.
Orji’s college achievements weren’t enough to get him drafted, and he ended up signing with the New Orleans Saints shortly after the 2023 NFL Draft.
He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but was able to stick around on the practice squad for the 2023 season.
Orji saw his most NFL action throughout the 2024 season, appearing in 16 games, starting two, and recording 30 tackles and two tackles for loss, a majority as a special teams contributor.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Orji joined the Tennessee Titans, but tore his ACL during a summer practice.
Now, he’s back with an NFL team and looks to carve out a role for himself and continue his career.
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