2022 Giants Position Review: Edge Rushers
For all of the success the New York Giants defense had this year, the edge rushers went through a tumultuous season. They dealt with inflated expectations, exaggerated failures, accomplishments, injuries, and everything else.
Giants fans could only see glimpses of this unit fully functional, and it leaves many people anxious to see what happens when everyone is healthy and firing on all cylinders.
It also makes some believe management must continue adding to this unit. It was an eclectic bunch that accounted for 14.5 sacks and 130 tackles. While those numbers won't wow anyone, the potential of a healthy unit could see those numbers doubled next season.
Rookie first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux's first season embodied the unsettled nature of the unit. He started the season missing the first two games due to a preseason knee injury. When he returned to the field, his athleticism flashed, but you could also see that he was not a finished product.
As he continued to refine his craft, his improvements did not show in the sacks column, where most fans recognize edge success. Thibodeaux's tackles continued to increase, but the sack numbers stayed pretty pedestrian.
He was only able to get the quarterback down four times this season. If you paid attention, but upon closer inspection, he bothered quarterbacks regularly. His breakout game came in the Giants' 20-12 victory over the Commanders, in which he collected 12 tackles with three tackles for a loss and recovered a sack/fumble for a touchdown.
Azeez Ojulari spent most of the season dealing with injuries. He only played in nine games this season which includes two playoff games. He still managed to collect 5.5 sacks in his seven-game regular season, proving that he has the potential to be a high-volume sack artist for the Giants.
He seems to have a talent for getting to the quarterback and getting him on the ground. The burst off the line and his ability to change direction are his recipes for success as a pass rusher. If you extrapolate his stats over a 17-game season, Ojulari could have accrued 13 sacks, which would have put him amongst the best in the NFL.
When you think about him opposite Thibodeaux for a full season, it has to make Giants fans excited about the future. When both edge rushers are healthy, they have the potential to be one of the most disruptive duos in the league.
MORE 2022 GIANTS POSITION UNIT REVIEWS: Quarterback | Defensive Line | Receivers | Inside Linebackers
Jihad Ward was a good free-agent pick-up by the Giants. He was expected to come in and provide a diverse skill set along the front. Although he is considered an outside linebacker, he has the size and strength to play in the interior.
After the Giants drafted Thibodeaux, Ward became exactly what the front line needed: a versatile chess piece for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to move all over the board.
Statistically, Ward had his best season in the league in a spot-duty role. Early in the season, he filled in for Thibodeaux and replaced Ojulari throughout the season when he was out. Ward even took snaps inside when the Giants were missing Leonard Williams.
The team will have to decide whether to bring Ward back, but given his versatility and production (43 tackles and three sacks), the choice would seem relatively easy for the Giants.
The preseason was a little rocky for Oshane Ximines, who many thought might be on the outside looking in on the final cut day. However, when the official roster was announced, he made the list.
Although the one-time third-round pick didn't see a lot of snaps, thanks to all of the players in front of him at the position, he still proved valuable and made his presence felt on a few occasions during the season. His six tackles in Week 1 while filling in for injured players was critical in the Giants' 21-20 win over Tennessee.
His strip sack of Aaron Rodgers in Week 5 helped seal the victory over Green Bay. Ximines has always done whatever was asked of him and has been a good tool in the box for this Giants' defense.
Tomon Fox was probably a surprise addition to the final roster coming out of the preseason. The undrafted free agent out of North Carolina made the staff look prophetic when he collected a sack in the first game of the season.
He also had eight tackles in their road loss to Seattle and five tackles in Week 18 against the Eagles. When given an opportunity, Fox was effective, but he remains a guy whose value is based on the health of others.
Elerson Smith, who began the season with so much promise after spending most of his rookie campaign on injured reserve, only made it through five games in 2022, amassing three tackles. He suffered an Achilles/heel injury that landed him on injured reserve on December 15, after he began the season on injured reserve with a calf injury suffered during training camp. Smith has talent, but his inability to stay on the field is becoming a concern.
Overall, the Giants' edge rusher group is an athletic, young, and explosive collection of talent. The question the decision-makers need to answer is if the unit has enough firepower capable of getting the quarterback on the ground more often or is more needed.
Simply put, 14.5 sacks are not good enough for this group to be considered elite. The elite groups have one guy alone capable of amassing those numbers. This might prompt the Giants' brass to favor adding upgrades at the position.
Regardless of the offseason moves, the next step is for one or more of these guys to get into double digits if they want to become elite in the eyes of the league.
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