Most Indispensable New York Giants: No. 7 Still Valuable Despite Forgettable 2024 Campaign

The New York Giants On SI editorial team’s countdown of the most indispensable Giants players continues with inside linebacker Bobby Okereke at No. 7 on our list.

Bobby Okereke, ILB

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 235 lbs.
College: Stanford
NFL Exp: 7 Years
Career Stats: 662 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 32 TFLs, 11 FFs, 5 INTs

When the Giants signed Bobby Okereke in free agency after the 2022 NFL season, I was skeptical of the signing only because of the stark contrast in defensive systems.

Okereke went from the conservative Gus Bradley Cover 3 system to Wink Martindale’s uber-aggressive man defense. But it worked out quite well.

Okereke, who didn’t miss a single snap in his first campaign as a Giant, finished with 149 tackles, just two shy of his previous year’s total, and the most on the Giants' 2023 defense.

He also recorded a career-high nine quarterback pressures and 2.5 sacks, looking every bit comfortable in attack mode in Martindale’s system.

The following year, Martindale was replaced by Shane Bowen, architect of a completely different system that relies more heavily on zone coverage, and Okereke, at times, didn’t always seem comfortable.

Before his back injury ended his season in Week 12, Okereke was settling into the new system, posting at least nine tackles in his last five games before landing on IR (including two games with double-digit tackles).

The hope is that he’ll not only be healthy but also much more comfortable this coming season, able to hit the ground running and fully regain his 2023 form.

Why He’s Indispensable

In most cases, while off-ball linebacker isn’t a needle-moving position, Okereke is a needle-moving linebacker.

His ability to line up from multiple spots on that second level and contribute against the run and pass makes him crucial to keeping the defense from having apparent weaknesses.

With Okereke on the field, the Giants' defense has no limits to what they do schematically in the front seven. He can cover, defend the run, and rush the passer.

Given general manager Joe Schoen's emphasis on improving the defensive ine, the likely expectation is that the unit will be counted as disruptors, leaving Okereke and company free to go and hunt the football.

Hunting the football is an Okereke strength thanks to his top-notch instincts and intelligence, which allow him to get into a position to affect the play in the Giants’ favor positively.

Going back to 2023, Okereke recorded a career high 10 pass breakups, which dropped to three last season. Allowing him to get back to what he does best should pay the dividends that weren’t there last year as he and his teammates adjusted to the new system.

Okereke is a three-down linebacker who hustles and is often in close proximity to the ball. This is a valuable skill because if a teammate misses a tackle or an opportunity, Okereke is usually right there to clean it up.

He’s also a smart player who rarely gets fooled out there or finds himself out of position. Simply put, despite the previous seasons’ struggles, Okereke is still very much the Giants’ best inside linebacker.

New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) runs onto the field to start the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Happens if He’s Missing?

Without Okereke, this Giants defense simply doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to—the coverage over the middle of the field takes a massive step backward, and the run defense falters slightly.

Part of this is because there isn’t enough depth at linebacker behind Okereke, but it's also simply because he’s still one of the better off-ball linebackers in the NFL.

Yards after contact and missed tackle rates usually climb when Okereke is off the field because there are only specialists in that room behind him. It was noticeable when he went down with his back injury last year, given his experience and ability to play both the run and the pass.

The other key element with Okereke is his ability, as quarterback of the defense, to get everyone aligned properly and make adjustments on the fly.

This underrated but key aspect of his game is apparent pre- and post-snap, particularly when he uses his intelligence to cover up holes that spring up during a play.

His List Ranking

Last year, Okereke was our third-most indispensable Giants player. The weekly reason for his drop includes his early-season struggles, as already noted, and the injury–back injuries are not something to mess around with.

But the good news is that Okereke, who had a disc issue, is completely healthy after dealing with his first significant injury of his career.

He seems determined to put last year, a rough year for all associated with the Giants, into the circular file and start anew on a defense that got a lot of love from general manager Joe Schoen this past offseason regarding personnel upgrades from front to back.

Moving Forward

Okereke flew under the radar for most of his time in Indianapolis, and due to the Giants' bad win-loss record over the past two years, he’s still flying under the radar.

Die-hard football fans know that Okereke is still one of the best linebackers. At just 28 years old, he should be just now entering his prime.

Other Indispensable Giants

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