New York Giants 2023 UFA Primer: OLB Oshane Ximines

OLB Oshane Ximines started out strong but then faded. But is his talent worth retaining?

Oshane Ximines, Outside Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 254 lbs.
Age: 26
NFL Exp: 4 Years
College: Old Dominion

The New York Giants appear to have their outside linebacker duo of Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux for the long term. But as we saw in 2022, injuries were a factor meaning it would behoove the Giants to have some depth.

One possibility for that depth the team might want to consider re-signing is edge rusher Oshane Ximines.

A native of Queens, New York, Ximines was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Old Dominion. The 95th overall pick came as part of the trade with Cleveland for receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Playing four seasons as a defensive end with the Monarchs, Ximines saw 49 career games and accumulated 176 total tackles, 51.5 tackles for loss, 33 sacks, one interception, and 11 forced fumbles, which were all Conference-USA records.

His best campaign came in his senior year when the multiple-time C-USA First-Team member notched 58 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, one interception, and four forced fumbles, all numbers positioning him within the top 10 of FBS players.

When the 26-year-old arrived in East Rutherford in the fall of 2019, he played in all 16 games and collected 25 tackles, a career-high 4.5 sacks, one pass deflection, and two stuffs. Yet, his next two seasons would see just 14 games with 18 takedowns and three pass deflections. The defensive end would also switch his role over to outside linebacker by the end of the 2019 season and was named a starting rusher by his 2020 campaign, a season shortened by a shoulder injury.

Ximines’ 2021 season was one in which he appeared to have fallen out of favor with the previous coaching staff. He averaged 23 snaps per game and played in just ten games for New York, leaving doubt about his future with the team.

2022 Recap

Ximines began the 2022 training camp on the PUP list with a hamstring issue that sidelined him for most of the summer. Once he returned, he took advantage of a clean slate by the new coaching staff, earning his largest playing time within the Giants' defense during the 2022 season. He appeared in 506 total snaps—180 on run defense, 245 on the pass rush, and 81 in coverage lining up mostly on the defensive line with sparse snaps in the box and the slot corner spot.

Ximines had 24 tackles (15 solos), two sacks, and one forced fumble with recovery for his second-best season in four years. He also had six quarterback hits, six hurries, and one batted pass while solidifying a career-low missed tackle percentage of 13.6%.

Ximines’s most used game was the regular season finale in Philadelphia, where he played took 73 total snaps and made a couple of tackles and pressures. No matter how much and when he played for the Giants, he only let up 49 yards against him and was rarely penalized, serving as a more efficient defender among the group.

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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 | OLB Jihad Ward | Sterling Shepard | IDL Nicholas Williams | DB Tony Jefferson | S/ILB Landon Collins | WR Richie James | P Jamie Gillan | WR Marcus Johnson | ILB Jaylon Smith

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Why the Giants Should Keep Him

If the Giants don't believe there is an alternative in the free agent market or the draft, Ximines at least offers the team a player with comfortability in the defensive system that’s been put in place in 2022.

The Old Dominion alum earned snaps on the front line as an edge rusher or as an extra linebacking option in the box to give other players a breather. He seemed to make some strides in his overall rushing and protection of the intermediate field last season, and that’s a positive note for a young player who's only been offered limited reps and been through a few defensive systems in four years with New York.

His grades were certainly stronger during the early half of 2022, with heavier snaps due to injuries at the edge position. Still, he managed to keep development coming in the second half, which warrants some praise and consideration from the Giants’ front office.

Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

Ximines hasn’t received much burn with the Giants, again due to injuries but also due to stunted development. Once thought to be a future starter, those days are over as he's settled into a depth rotational player.

In terms of his production, if the schemes are refitted to empower his contributions, Ximines’ production on the field has been short of dominating. He hasn’t garnered more than 25 tackles in a season and barely managed to scavenge a couple in most of his games this past fall. That’s way below the numbers that other free-agent pass rushers or even prospects in the upcoming draft might bring to the table.

Ximines was able to raise his overall pressures in extended playing time this year, but most of his grades, including tackling, went down from their previous season as well. The Giants already have two strong edge bulls to crack down the pocket in the years to come, and it’s hard to see Ximines in that picture with how he has been deployed in his tenure in East Rutherford.

Keep or Dump?

Oshane Ximines is a player who has tried to make the most of any opportunity he has been given with the Giants since he was drafted there. However, the numbers outside of his control indicate that the team might be looking in a different direction for their edge come to the end of his rookie deal.

Ximines was a draft selection of the previous front office regime whose leftovers have seen their changes in the new Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll era. Thus, Ximines could be the next crumb to fall off the table, and the Giants will likely let him move on and find his increased role with another organization this summer.

If that’s the case, their answer will either come at a similar price through the draft, or they’ll have to open the wallet a little more for an available free agent.

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