The New York Giants made a brilliant decision last offseason to sign linebacker Bobby Okereke in free agency. Okereke quickly burst onto the scene and enjoyed a breakout campaign in his first season with Big Blue.
Bobby Okereke had a breakout campaign in 2023
Okereke did it all for the Giants’ defense in 2023. He finished the season with 149 combined tackles and set new career highs with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 11 pass defenses. The Giants’ defense had been missing a stud linebacker for years, but Okereke quickly filled that role in his first season with the team.
Pro Football Focus ranks Okereke as a top-10 linebacker in the NFL
Okereke’s breakout 2023 season established him as a star in the NFL. He recently received high praise from Pro Football Focus in an article ranking the top 32 linebackers in the league. PFF’s Gordon McGuinness ranked Okereke as the No. 10 best linebacker in the NFL:
“A career-high 78.9 PFF grade highlighted the best season of Okereke’s career, his first with the Giants,” PFF’s McGuinness wrote. “The 2019 third-round draft pick ranked ninth at the position with an 82.5 PFF coverage grade, and he was one of the surest tacklers in the league, missing just 7.7% of his attempts.”
Okereke will continue to lead the Giants’ defense in 2024
Despite last season being his first with the team, Okereke was named a captain. Now, with fellow captain Xavier McKinney having departed, the Giants will rely on Okereke even more.
Thankfully, they signed Okereke to a four-year contract last offseason, securing their leader in the middle of their defense for the next several seasons. The defense will look a lot different under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in 2024, however, Okereke will still play a major role in the unit’s success.