New York Giants: One mid-round pass rusher with high upside to consider

New York Giants, Julian Okwara
SOUTH BEND, IN - APRIL 22: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Linemen Julian Okwara (42) looks on during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Blue-Gold Spring Game on April 22, 2017, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The New York Giants barely addressed the pass rusher position this offseason, and that has been apparent considering their only signing was Kyler Fackrell on a one-year deal, who’s two years removed from reasonable production.

Fackrell racked up 10.5 sacks in 2018 but was replaced with better talent. The former Packer had worked with current Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who was then Green Bay’s linebackers coach. The hope is that Graham can extract the most out of Fackrell in the coming months, but there’s no guarantee that approach will work.

The Giants haven’t re-signed Markus Golden or taken a shot at Jadeveon Clowney, essentially replacing their double-digit sack man with Fackrell, who’s unproven. Now, they could take a chance on a player in the draft to add more talent to the spot, and that’s where Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara enters the frame.

What can Julian Okwara bring to the New York Giants?

Having suffered a broken leg in 2019, Okwara was unable to replicate his stellar 2018 performance, where he managed 8.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss in 13 games. He’s a solid option for Big Blue in the third round, as his injury last season will likely see him slip to the 99th overall pick.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein stated in his analysis:

The lanky edge rusher followed up an impressive 2018 with a slightly disappointing senior season that saw a drop in production and ended prematurely due to a broken leg. One look at his NFL brother (Romeo Okwara, Lions) should tell teams to project Julian as a bigger, stronger player with time. He has build-up speed up around the edge and carries an impressive closing burst to seal the deal, but he’s in desperate need of a rush counter to keep tackles guessing. He hasn’t shown a consistent ability to play the run, so his NFL success could generate a thumbs up or down based primarily on his ability to cause havoc as a rusher.

Stopping the run has been problematic for Okwara, as mentioned above, and developing that part of his game is essential. General manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge prefer run-stopping linebackers and interior defenders, which might suggest that Okwara doesn’t fit their scheme. However, converting him to an outside linebacker, which is a better fit for a lanky, fast pass rusher, might be the solution.

There’s no question that Okwara is capable of getting into the backfield, as 33% of his tackles last season were behind the line of scrimmage. With Oshane Ximines expected to take a more significant role with the Giants in 2020, Okwara would have the luxury of time. For that reason, he’s an intriguing mid-round pick for the Giants.