The New York Giants concluded their third week of preseason last night with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Giants saw numerous rookies standout in this contest. One rookie in particular had a strong outing against the Bengals in a position of need for New York.
Third-round draft pick Oshane Ximines had his best game of the preseason against the Bengals. The Giants are in dire need of a pass-rusher, and the underrated edge rusher might be able to fill this need. Ximines comes from a small school, Old Diminion (their first ever NFL draft pick), which is why he fell to the third round of the draft.
But to this point, Oshane Ximines has looked like more than a third round rookie. Oshane Ximines has made an immediate impact for the Giants this preseason.
Oshane Ximines Preseason Stats And Highlights
Oshane Ximines currently leads the the Giants in preseason sacks. Ximines has totaled 3 sacks, including 2 against the Bengals in an impressive performance. Oshane has been flashing potential during training camp, so it is encouraging to see this carry over into the preseason.
Not everyone’s strong camp on defense has shown up in the preseason games. Lorenzo Carter, the team’s starting edge rusher, has not recorded a sack in the preseason despite having a strong start to training camp. This lack of production out of Lorenzo is why Oshane’s strong play is so encouraging.
Another sack for @OshaneXimines the X-Man! pic.twitter.com/yUCSmdDUfd
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) August 23, 2019
Oshane Ximines is already exceeding expectations. For a third round rookie to be leading the team in sacks is highly impressive. Third round edge rushers typically do not see an abundance of playing time in their rookie seasons, but Ximines is on track to see a plethora of snaps.
Another reason that Oshane Ximines’s performance is important is his linking to the Odell Beckham Jr. Ximines was drafted with the third round pick that the Giants received in exchange for Odell Beckham. Ximines is forever linked to this trade, and if he can turn into a solid starter (along with Dexter Lawrence and Jabrill Peppers), the Giants could come out as winners in this trade.