New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: LB Bobby Okereke

How will Bobby Okereke fit with new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen?

Brandon Olsen | Jun 30, 2024

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) celebrates his sack against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Giants

The New York Giants added linebacker Bobby Okereke in free agency during the 2023 offseason, a move that many, myself included, had doubts about. I can’t speak for others, but my doubts stemmed from the Giants’ decision to invest in a player who had never played in a blitz-heavy man defense.

It didn’t take long for Okereke to assuage my doubts. He not only played every defensive snap but also had a great first year with the Giants despite the defense's struggles.

With the Giants bringing in Shane Bowen to replace Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator, Okereke might benefit even more. Bowen is a polar opposite of Martindale, opting for a much more conservative defense that had one of the highest quarters coverage rates in the NFL.

When Okereke was with the Colts, he played for a defense that had Cover 3 and quarters as the most common coverage calls. Bringing in Bowen should put Okereke back in a position he thrived in with the Colts and should be a more natural fit, even though last year he proved himself capable of being scheme-versatile.

BOBBY OKEREKE, LB

Height: 6-2
Weight: 235
EXP: 6 Years
School: Stanford
How Acquired: FA-23

2023 in Review

The 2023 campaign was Okereke’s first season with the Giants after four years with the Colts. Despite being asked to play in a scheme different from what he had in his previous career, Okereke had a career year.

While playing a career-high in snaps, Okereke also saw career-highs in pressures, sacks, forced fumbles, and run stops. He tied his career-high in interceptions with two and recorded the lowest coverage rating of his career.

He lined up throughout the defensive formation, and the rate at which he blitzed allowed him to attack more downhill as a pass-rusher and placed him in a better position to defend the run.

Okereke also posted the lowest missed tackle rate and completion percentage allowed in his career. The one area where we saw a significant downswing for Okereke was penalties, where he was flagged seven times in 2023 versus the three he had in his entire career with the Colts.

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Contract/Cap Info

Okereke is entering year two of a four-year contract worth $40 million. The deal, which has $21.8 million guaranteed, makes Okereke the ninth highest-paid linebacker in the NFL for the coming season.

To cut Okereke now would give the Giants a dead cap hit of $11.105 million while creating just $100,000 in cap space. There’s no reason, financial or otherwise, to consider cutting Okereke.

Of note: the 2024 season is the last year Okereke has any guaranteed money coming his way, so it will be interesting to see if the Giants look to extend him after this season, which would lower his $12.205 million cap hit in 2025.

If Okereke were to get cut after this season, the Giants would free $9,000,000 in cap space while eating a dead-money hit of $3.205 million.

2024 Preview

Expectations have never been higher for Okereke heading into the 2024 season with Bowen as his play-caller. Bowen’s system typically calls for light boxes with just one or two linebackers on the field as opposed to what Martindale, who would have two or three linebackers almost exclusively, called.

Having a light box can put lackluster linebackers in trouble due to the likelihood of needing to fight through more traffic to make plays against the run. Luckily for the Giants, their defensive line could challenge for being one of the best in the league this year, and in Okereke, they have a linebacker who has no problem sifting through traffic to make a play.

My biggest concern for the linebacker room with the shift to Bowen is more focused on the linebacker talent around Okereke. Most of the linebackers in the room haven’t played much quarters coverage, which challenges underneath zone defenders more than anyone else.

In quarters coverage, there are four overtop defenders with three underneath zone defenders. Those underneath defenders will be two linebackers and a defensive back in nickel, meaning that the importance of sound linebacker play to cover and make a tackle after a short completion cannot be understated.

I have faith in Okereke to make the transition seamlessly, considering his career has earned that faith, but he may try to overcompensate if a linebacker near him underperforms.

The Detroit Lions faced a similar situation in 2021 when Alex Anzalone constantly threw himself out of position to help Jamie Collins. Once Collins was released, the coverage defense improved significantly.