The New York Giants initially signed eight undrafted free agents following the 2024 NFL Draft.
Of those eight, LSU pass rusher Ovie Oghoufo — who also spent time at Texas and Notre Dame — was given the best chance to make the 53-man roster according to Bleacher Report analyst Ryan Fowler.
“After spending time at Notre Dame, Texas and LSU, edge-rusher Ovie Oghoufo enters the NFL with as much experience as anyone in the class,” Fowler reasoned on May 5. Noting: “Oghoufo is an aggressive, upfield pass-rusher with the athleticism and lateral agility to work the fringe areas. His 1,967 snaps within the front seven give him the ideal floor to compete for rotational snaps with the New York Giants.”
The NFL writer also pointed out that the Giants were “tied for the fourth-fewest sacks last season,” concluding that they could use more impact at the position beyond Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns.
Giants UDFA Ovie Oghoufo Will Have Shot at Backup OLB Role
The Giants edge rushers are stout at the top with the aforementioned Burns and Thibodeaux, but the depth is very shallow. Azeez Ojulari is the odds-on favorite to claim the third outside linebacker role, no doubt, but who will earn the fourth job in the rotation?
Or what happens if Ojulari suffers another injury, or simply isn’t the same player?
The Giants have a depth issue at this position and assuming general manager Joe Schoen doesn’t choose to address it with a late veteran addition, Oghoufo could have a real opportunity in New York.
Perhaps that goes into Fowler’s line of thinking here. With Big Blue, Oghoufo’s top competition will likely be fourth-year veteran Boogie Basham, third-year journeyman Benton Whitley, second-year UDFA Tomon Fox and 2023 pickup Jeremiah Martin. Along with Ojulari and special teams signing Matthew Adams.
Giants UDFA Ovie Oghoufo Profiled as Well-Rounded in College, But Lacked Breakout Sack Total
The 6-foot-3 pass rushing prospect has shown flashes at the collegiate level, but he’s never been dominant in the sacks department.
Oghoufo registered 8.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in 2022, as a member of the Longhorns. Throughout his career, he was ultra-consistent as a pass rusher despite changing systems. The youngster managed 2.5 sacks in four out of his five NFL campaigns, with 2.0 sacks in the fifth.
Having said that, he failed to come up with that breakout season as a pass rusher.
Diving into other areas of his game, Oghoufo proved to be a decent tackler too, with 163 total credited tackles as an edge defender. According to PFF, his missed tackle rate wasn’t noticeably high either, hovering around 11% for his college career.
The LSU transfer also excelled as a run defender, per PFF. His 67 defensive stops included a career-high 24 in 2021, and his run defense grades rarely dipped below 70.0 out of 100.
So, Big Blue is getting a well-rounded player, even if he fell short of “impact pass rusher” in college. The NYG coaching staff, led by new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and new outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen, will be tasked with getting more out of Oghoufo and his fellow OLBs.
Bullen spent the 2023 season as the Illinois football program’s outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator. He joined the Fighting Illini in January of 2023 with 11 years of NFL coaching experience, including four years with the Arizona Cardinals.
