Could Giants Trade for Lions Pass Rusher Julian Okwara?
Under general manager Joe Schoen, the New York Giants have never been one to rest on their laurels. If there is an opportunity to be had to upgrade the talent on the roster, Schoen will move heaven and earth to make it happen.
So could the second-year general manager be thinking about making a trade for Detroit Lions edge rusher Julian Okwara, a player the Giants got to see up close a couple of weeks ago during the two-day joint practice sessions and the preseason opener with the Lions?
According to NFL draft analyst Cam Marino, that could very well be the case.
Marino isn't the only one predicting that the Lions might move on from Okwara, the younger brother of one-time Giants pass rusher Romeo Okwara. Detroit Free Press writer Dave Birkett also predicted that Okwara could be on the trade block due to the Lions' abundance of linemen, though Birkett didn't link the pass rusher with any specific team.
Would such a move make sense for the Giants, who now have their entire seven-round draft class intact and are not projected to land any comp picks for next year's draft?
According to Pro Football Reference, Okwara, entering his third year, had a pass-rush productivity of 6.9 percent, which topped all the Giants' outside linebackers last year except for Azeez Ojualri (9.3 percent). Okwara only had 62 pass-rushing opportunities, meaning he made the most of those limited chances.
Okwara, 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds missed last season's back end due to an elbow injury suffered during the team's Thanksgiving game. As a third-round draft pick in 2020, he has one year remaining on his rookie deal for $1,282,456 to any team that trades for him or acquires his contract off waivers.
The Giants are set as far as their starters go, with Ojulari and KAyvon Thibodeaux. But there has been some question about the depth behind those two. And it was telling that the Giants opted to wait until after the draft before re-signing Oshane Ximines, a player it looked like they'd be moving on from.
Head coach Brian Daboll offered praise to Ximines. "He’s done a nice job setting the edge, getting some knockback. Again, dependable, knows our system, he’s had plays in there that have been good and then plays that we have got to work on, but he’s been a dependable guy for us."
We'll see if the Giants, who could also wait to see if Okwara or any pass rusher cut by his team falls to them on waivers, look to upgrade at that position or if they stand pat with Ximines, Tomon Fox, Tashawn Bower, and Jihad Ward.
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