New York Giants 2023 UFA Primer: OLB Jihad Ward

Jihad Ward might have been the biggest under-the-radar free agent signing for the Giants last year. But will he be back in 2023 as the Giants look to upgrade their team?

Jihad Ward, OLB

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 287 lbs.
Age: 28
NFL Exp.: 7 seasons
College: Illinois

Unlike some early-on success stories in the NFL, New York Giants outside linebacker Jihad Ward’s journey fared differently since the Raiders drafted him in 2016.

Following a solid rookie campaign for the Raiders, where Ward secured 30 combined tackles, 27 pressures (his career high), and a fumble, Ward wound up suffering a left foot injury over the 2017 offseason, which required surgery. As a result, Ward was hindered significantly during the 2017 season, playing in five games with only one start.

After being traded to the Cowboys and then cut by them a few months later in 2018, Ward signed with the Colts and was promoted to the active roster on September 13, 2018. However, a month later, with three sacks in six games, Ward suffered an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve soon after.

On October 1, 2019, Ward was waived by the Colts and finished the season as a Baltimore Raven under current Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale. In 11 games, Ward received 370 total snaps, coming away with 22 pressures, a sack, two fumble recoveries, and seven tackles in spot duty.

In 2020, Ward was placed on the COVID-19 list in late November. He then departed from Baltimore and joined the Jaguars, playing in his first full season since his rookie campaign. Ward had 32 tackles, 17 pressures, 13 stops, and two sacks in 2021.

Ward signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants on March 16, 2022.

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GIANTS UFA PRIMERS: QB Daniel Jones | IOL Nick Gates | RB Saquon Barkley | C Jon Feliciano | IDL Justin Ellis | RB Matt Breida | LS Casey Kreiter

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2022 Recap

In his season with the Giants, Ward played in all 17 games, with 11 starts, producing the best statistical performance of his career. In 657 snaps, Ward had 23 pressures, ten hits, three sacks (matching his career high), 43 combined tackles, and two forced fumbles.

When Giants starting edge rusher Azeez Ojulari dealt with injuries, Ward filled in on the pass rush while also delivering in the running game, finishing third on the team in run stops (20).

Though Ward didn't cap off his pressures with sacks, his ability to produce as well and consistently as he did was very beneficial for the Giants defense. Regardless of his weekly snap counts, Ward did a great job filling in when needed.

Why Giants Should Keep Him

The 2022 season marked the second straight year where Ward played a full 17 games, leading to the best campaign of his career. For someone who’s dealt with his fair share of injury setbacks and his ups and downs, Ward rose to the occasion, owned his role, and showed a ton of heart in the process.

Having a veteran with that fire and energy invigorates a defense on each snap. To add to his leadership skills and attitude, Ward has illustrated how well he plays in Martindale’s scheme, first in Baltimore and now in New York. Martindale knows how to position Ward in areas where he can tap into his strengths and dominate, and that came to life all too often last season.

Though the Giants will likely opt to keep Kayvon Thibodeaux and Ojulari as their edge-rushing one-two punch, Ward illustrated how great of a depth piece he could be and could be a nice fill-in should Ojulari or Thibodeaux have to miss any playing time.

Why Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

After posting a successful season with the Giants, Ward may seek a little richer contract to stay (assuming Martindale remains as the defensive coordinator), and the Giants might not have the leeway to negotiate a bigger deal.

Ward was given $2.5 million for one year when he signed with the Jaguars in 2021, taking a considerably smaller contract to play in New York last season, receiving $1,187,500. If he is looking for a sizeable raise, the Giants might not be able to give it to him.

Keep or Dump?

Based on how well he played and how many career highs he hit, the Giants should try to re-sign Ward. Ward was a great plug-and-play piece over the 2022 season for the Giants' defense and showed that there are levels to his game that he’s still tapping into.

The Giants are at a point in their rebuild process where they have a handful of great cornerstone players to build around, but now they need to focus on filling in the holes with the right role players like Ward. After seeing how the 28-year-old thrived under Martindale, Ward has room to do much better with another season in the same system.

The Giants should certainly be prepared for Ward to look for something bigger, even if it’s another one-year deal. And if Martindale takes a head coaching job, he'll likely look to follow him since Ward seems to thrive playing for Martindale. Still, Ward has proved his worth and should be a guy the Giants inquire about re-signing. 

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