The New York Giants seem to have gotten a steal in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Giants traded down in the first and second rounds of this year’s draft. In the second round, with the fiftieth overall pick in the NFL Draft, New York selected Azeez Ojulari.
Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher out of Georgia, seems to have been a steal with the fiftieth pick in the draft. Ojulari looks like a strong defensive rookie of the year candidate through the first seven weeks of his career. If Azeez can stay on this trajectory, he will be in the running for the prestigious award at the end of the year.
Azeez Ojulari stats and highlights
In each of the Giants’ first three games of the season, Azeez Ojulari recorded a sack. Three sacks in three games put Ojulari’s season off to a hot start. In Week Three, the Giants rookie had an elite performance. Against the Falcons, Ojulari recorded a 92.2 PFF grade as he recorded 2 pressures, 1 sack, 1 hurry, and 2 defensive stops.
Azeez Ojulari was quiet in Weeks Five and Six, failing to record a pressure in either one of those contests. But in this past Sunday’s matchup, azeez exploded into a dominant performance. Ojulari recorded 8 total pressures and 2.5 sacks against the Carolina Panthers.
This Week Seven performance put the Giants’ second-round pick on the map. In only seven games, Azeez Ojulari has tied the New York Giants’ single-season sack record (5.5). Azeez is on pace to crush that record and make a strong push for the end-of-season Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. The Giants are 2-5 and their season is seemingly down in the dumps. However, the team has to be excited knowing they have an extraordinarily talented young edge rusher in Azeez Ojulari to build around in the future.