The New York Giants are expected to be sellers at the 2024 NFL trade deadline. At 2-7 with an 0-4 divisional record and a long rebuild ahead of them, the Giants could make some trades to add future draft capital. Young pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari seems to be the Giants’ hot commodity, garnering trade interest across the NFL.
The Giants will likely be sellers at the deadline
The NFL trade deadline is just over 24 hours away. Many of the top teams around the NFL are searching the market for the one final piece they need to push their roster into contention. Meanwhile, the teams hovering around the bottom of the league are looking for a way to offload their assets and build toward the future.
The Giants find themselves in the latter group, aiming to trade away their remaining assets of value for future draft capital. Ojulari could be the team’s most enticing trade piece with contenders across the league needing pass-rush depth.
Azeez Ojulari is generating trade interest
Ojulari’s name has been brought up frequently in trade rumors over the past several weeks. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, “it’s a poorly kept secret” that the Giants have been “shopping” Ojulari. Russini listed the Cincinnati Bengals, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Arizona Cardinals as three of the teams that have expressed interest in trading for Ojulari.
According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the “best case” return for Ojulari in a trade would likely be a fifth-round draft pick. But NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants are not just good to give him away before Tuesday’s trade deadline. With the deadline just a day away, Ojulari’s market is heating up, and a trade feels likely.
The Giants are unlikely to extend Ojulari
Following Sunday’s loss to the Washington Commanders, Ojulari confirmed with the media that he and the Giants have not had any contract extension talks to this point:
“The Giants have not discussed an extension with Azeez Ojulari, the outside linebacker told NJ Advance Media after Sunday’s loss to the Commanders,” Ryan Novozinsky of North Jersey reported.
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Ojulari will be a free agent in the 2025 offseason and it seems unlikely that the Giants will be able to extend him. The 24-year-old pass-rusher is expected to get a new deal exceeding New York’s budget. The G-Men have already invested significant money and assets into their defensive line with Brian Burns accounting for $28.2 million per season, Dexter Lawrence accounting for $21.87 million per season, and 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux set to account for $14 million on a fifth-year option in 2026.
With so much already invested into the unit, it’s unlikely the Giants will be able to reach the contractual demands of Ojulari in the offseason. For that reason, they seem motivated to get a trade done at the deadline, shipping Ojulari off for a 2025 draft pick before he walks away in free agency for nothing.
