It was only two years ago that the New York Giants discovered just how much of a defensive menace inside linebacker Bobby Okereke could become for the middle of their changing group as they sought him out in free agency ahead of the 2023 season.
The sign came in Week 17 of the 2022 season when the Giants faced off with Okereke, who was then a member of the Indianapolis Colts, and saw him play with a non-stop motor while racking up 17 total tackles (13 solo) and forcing a loose ball for the visiting team in what was a 38-10 rout by New York that clinched their long-awaited postseason dreams.
Okereke would finish that campaign as one of the top-10 highest tacklers in the entire NFL with 151 takedowns, including two such players from the Colts’ roster that year. The Giants knew they had to have him, and he became one of general manager Joe Schoen’s biggest offseason acquisitions ahead of the following season.
Their intuition would be correct for Okereke’s debut season in blue, which was just as impressive as where he left off in Indianapolis. He tallied 149 tackles (92 solo), his third consecutive triple-digit year in that category, while adding 2.5 sacks and six total turnovers in a full 17-game slate that led the entire Giants defense.
The veteran’s efforts were a rare bright spot in a dismal 6-11 year for the Giants and their defense in terms of stopping the run. They were a much weaker team, ranking 28th overall with a 58.0 run defense grade for the second consecutive season, but at least flashed a pair of elite inside linebackers, including Micah McFadden, clogging the interior for the future.
Last season, however, the story would shift for Okereke, and he wouldn’t be as much of a presence in the Giants’ weekly production. Injuries and the team’s struggles on the ground late in the year would take a toll on his final numbers, hitting 93 tackles and a 10.7% missed tackle rate, which stood for his worst metrics in the last four seasons.
None of those marks made for an annual resume that Okereke could be proud of.
Sometimes, the most basic realities of the game of football can get in the way of one’s feats. Based on the kind of resilient player Okereke has shown himself to be, we have little reason to believe that with a new slate ahead of him and a revamped Giants unit in 2025, he won’t bounce back and be a heavy part of the conversation this fall.
Why Bobby Okereke Will Increase His Total Tackles
When he is at full strength, Okereke has been one of the game’s most active defenders, and few players have come close to his production at the position. This offseason, the veteran inside linebacker has been working diligently to regain his physical form and prove he can once again produce at a high level.
Before last season, he was doing just that, notching at least 132 tackles from 2021-2023, and the key to his immense numbers was his health, where he didn’t miss a single game for both the Colts and Giants in that span.
Of course, playing within a better run defense, such as the Colts had, will only add to one’s success. Still, there is something to be said about being a true ironman in the NFL and providing a team with their most consistent defensive option, despite the circumstances surrounding them.
If he can remain healthy this season, there is little reason to doubt the 28-year-old doesn’t have another century mark tackle performance in him as the Giants strive to have a better run response.
The Giants also figure to provide Okereke and McFadden with much better reinforcements on the defensive front in that department. As the 2024 season progressed, the team was dealt a tough blow with injuries, creating a crater at the first level of the defense that made stopping the opposing team's game more difficult.
Even before he left for the sidelines after 12 games, Okereke and the inside linebackers were expected to pick up more of the slack in limiting damage in the trenches, and with the ball carriers often getting a nice head of steam in space, if often led to missed tackles or whiffs that kept the Giants defense on the field for longer drives and led to extra weariness.
After a solid bunch of additions to the front lines in free agency and the draft, including players like Roy Robertson-Harris and Darius Alexander, the Giants shouldn’t be the same franchise that allowed almost 5 yards per carry and ranked in the bottom five teams in major rushing metrics.
If they can better win the battle at the line of scrimmage and put pressure on the opponent’s running backs, it will allow more opportunities for guys like Okereke to work their magic in the cleanup duty and likely lead to a more fruitful campaign that we’ve been used to seeing from him.
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