The New York Giants will be without star pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux for the foreseeable future after he underwent surgery on his wrist this week. Thibodeaux could be a candidate for injured reserve as he recovers from the wrist injury. In the meantime, fourth-year rotational pass-rusher Azeez Ojulari will step into a huge role as he tries to fill the void that Thibodeaux leaves behind.
Azeez Ojulari will be back in the Giants’ starting lineup
With Thibodeaux sidelined, Ojulari will be back in the starting lineup. This season, Ojulari has been demoted to a rotational role despite being one of the Giants’ starting edge rushers in each of the last four seasons. Ojulari had missed a lot of playing time during those seasons, however, which is why the rotational role suited him so well.
However, Ojulari will not enjoy the luxury of a decreased workload this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals with Thibodeaux officially ruled out. Instead, he will be re-inserted into the starting lineup as the G-Men aim to make it two wins in a row in Week 6.
Ojulari, despite being moved into a rotational role, is still a solid pass rusher. He was only moved down in the depth chart due to the acquisition of superstar Brian Burns. Ojulari is still a capable pass rusher in his own respect, having totaled 17 career sacks across 45 games with 25 starts.
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This season, Ojulari has been on the field for 37% of the Giants’ defensive snaps (114) through the first five games of the season. He’s totaled 10 combined tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, six pressures, one fumble recovery, and one sack on the campaign. Despite his lack of playing time, Ojulari has still been productive for Big Blue.
The G-Men will need Ojulari to increase his production in Week 6. A former second-round pick, Ojulari entered the NFL with high expectations. So far, he has had some flashy highs and some disappointing lows, but has settled into becoming a quality contributor for the Giants. Perhaps he could become much more than that during his upcoming stretch of starts.
