Bobby Okereke Excited About Giants Defensive Personnel

Okereke believes the Giants defense will be able to crank up its game via the pass rush.

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0), cornerback Nick McCloud (44) and inside linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) take the field during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke is looking forward to the start of another season with his teammates and is particularly excited to be working with some new and familiar faces on the defense this year.   

Among the new faces who will be a part of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s unit are rookie inside linebacker Darius Muasau and outside linebacker Brian Burns, who will join Okereke and holdovers Micah McFadden and Kayvon Thibodeaux at the Giants’ second level of their defense. 

Muasau, the team’s sixth-round draft pick this year, is a “plug and play” type, according to Okereke, who has been impressed by what he’s seen from the rookie so far. 

“He’s an old-school football player,” Okereke said. “I don't know if you saw it, but you might have heard it – that big hit against the Jets. He ran that running back right over. He plays physical, he plays fast, he plays the game the right way, and he's smart. 

“It's his first live game, so jitters [and] excitement there,” he added. “But there is such a thing as youthful exuberance. So that's what he brings to the table, that excitement, that energy. He flies around with his hair on fire.”

Burns, the Giants' big-ticket acquisition via trade this past offseason, could very well be the missing piece that puts the pass rush over the top. Last year, the Giants, according to ESPN, finished with a 45 percent pass-rush win rate, 11th in the league. However, the Giants also had the second-highest blitz rate (45.4 percent), which resulted in an overall 20.9 percent pressure rate. 

With Burns, whom Okereke said adds an extra dynamic of flexibility, speed, and athleticism on the edge joining Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence, the Giants pass rush promises to be lethal.  

“You've got (Thibodeaux) KT, who finished with 11 and a half sacks last year. You've got Burns, who's signed to a big contract. You've got Dex, so it's a kind of pick-your-poison right there,” Okereke said. added.

That extra firepower up front will also help protect the defensive secondary, which is widely believed to be the biggest question mark on the defense at the moment due to its youth and lack of experience. 

Okereke, a defensive co-captain for the upcoming season, believes that the defensive secondary will rise to the occasion given its talent.

“We have a young group, but we have a lot of talent,” he said. “We've got a lot of youth, and those guys are growing and maturing really well. (Safety) Jason Pinnock's doing a great job leading that group. 

“Obviously, (cornerback) Deonte Banks, first-round pick [is] locked down – so those guys are coming along. Extra communication from my end and a great pass rush will help everybody.”   

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