Paulson Adebo Sees the Old Bobby Okereke in NY Giants Camp

Bobby Okereke looks like the playmaking linebacker he was before an injury shortened his 2024 season, says his one-time college teammate.

Bobby Okereke, inside linebacker with the NY Giants | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke has always been a playmaker, from his earliest days at Stanford to his journey to the NFL with both the Colts, for whom he posted back-to-back 100+ tackle seasons in 2021-22.

That playmaking ability continued in his first year with the New York Giants. Okereke, playing in what would be the last year of the Wink Martindale define, was a playmaking machine, logging 149 total tackles, just two shy of matching his career high the year prior with the Colts. 

That total also included 19 tackles for loss/tackles for no gain, per Pro Football Focus.

But where Okereke also stood out was in coverage, where he posted a career-best 89.1 coverage rating as the anchor of the Giants' defense and a career-best 10 pass breakups.

Then came a new year–and a new defensive scheme brought about by a new defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen. Suddenly, the Okereke that had looked like a bargain for the Giants at just $10 million per year looked lost and nothing like himself in the new scheme.

He appeared hesitant early on, before finally finding his footing in the less aggressive scheme in the last five games of his season before a disc issue ended his campaign in Week 12, Okereke still managing to finish with 93 tackles, 11 tackles for loss/no gain, and three pass breakups.

New year, new expectations

New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo says his old college teammate/new Giants teammate Bobby Okereke looks locked in and focused. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Fully healthy and having a better grasp of the defensive scheme, Okereke to cornerback Paulson Adebo, who played college ball with the linebacker when they were at Stanford, looks like the playmaking machine he’s built a reputation on.

“For sure,” Adebo said. “Yeah, I've seen him locked in, and I'm excited for him.” 

 Adebo, who joins Okerkee on the Giants this year, said that the years have seen the inside linebacker's football acumen, which was already at a high level in college, grow even more. 

“I think he's always been a very smart player. I think it's just increased even more having this experience that he's had, the ability to diagnose plays before they happen, knowing what concepts we can expect, knowing what situations, what kind of plays are going to get thrown at us, situational awareness,” Adebo said.

The Giants need that from Okereke, who earlier this summer said that the back injury, which he described as “scary,” was a thing of the past and that he’s having fun again playing the game he loves.

“I feel healthy. I’m very fortunate for (senior vice president of medical services & head athletic trainer) Ronnie (Barnes), (executive director of player performance) Aaron (Wellman), Coach (Brian Daboll) Dabs taking care of me and just working with the GPS-load management stuff, but I feel great,” he said.

Adebo recognizes that old spark in his college teammate and thinks that Okereke is going to have a big year, not just in making tackles, but also in doing his part to contribute to the team’s turnover chest. 

“I think he's been one of the best linebackers as far as forcing fumbles and having that unique punch out, getting the ball back for us,” Adebo said. ‘So that's something that I've seen him work on and something that has carried over to the games.” 

Including, hopefully, the games coming up on the 2025 schedule.

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