Day 2
ESPN’s Mel Kiper on Day 2 winners
“Dave Gettleman did it again. That’s back-to-back trades down in the first two days, and now the Giants have extra first-, third- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft. And to get Ojulari, my third-ranked outside linebacker, at No. 50 is stellar value. Ojulari is a perfect fit for New York’s 3-4 defense, and he’ll be a speedy rusher off the edge. He had 8.5 sacks for the Bulldogs last season. He also has some coverage ability, so he’ll be able to disguise in Patrick Graham’s defense. Gettleman & Co. also got a versatile and physical corner in Robinson, who could compete for early playing time. It was a good Day 2 for the Giants.”
SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano on Azeez Ojulari pick: A+
“This could go down as one of the steals of the entire NFL Draft. It certainly has to be surprising to the Giants that, after discussing Azeez Ojulari as a possibility at 11, they ended up landing the 6-foot-2, 249-pound edge rusher 39 picks later. It was an amazing turn of events, made even more impressive by the fact they got him after GM Dave Gettleman traded down – for the second time in two nights! – swapping the 42nd pick with the Miami Dolphins for the 50th pick and a third-rounder in 2022. That is some brilliant draft maneuvering. In fact, it would’ve been praised no matter who the Giants took at 50. But to end up with one of players they’ve been eyeing as a top pick for months … that’s a home run. They believe Ojulari can be a home run in the pass rush, too. He’s got great speed and explosiveness and is coming off an 8 ½-sack season. The Giants were desperate to find an edge rusher to play either behind or opposite Leonard Williams, who really was their entire pass rush last year. Now they’ve got a 1-2 punch with a player they never could’ve expected would’ve been still waiting for them in the middle of Round 2.”
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer on Azeez Ojulari pick: A+
“Dave Gettleman nailed this one, getting an edge rusher with also dynamic coverage ability needed for the second level. Ojulari offers the Giants the ideal combination of speed, strength and instincts.”
“An uncharacteristic second trade down by GM Dave Gettleman early in Round 2 netted the team a third-round selection next year while only costing them eight spots. They ended up with edge rusher Azeez Ojulari at Pick 50, who may have slid due to reported medical concerns. If he’s healthy, Ojulari will be a Markus Golden-type difference-maker. Robinson could easily have been picked 20 spots sooner because of his size and versatility, so giving up a late-round pick for his services was a worthwhile investment.”
The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia on Azeez Ojulari pick: A
“Dave Gettleman tried the whole trading back thing and apparently decided he liked it! This move worked out great for the Giants. They moved back eight spots and picked up a 2022 third-round pick. There were some injury questions with Ojulari, but if he’s healthy, he could emerge as the best pass rusher in the draft. He led the SEC last year with 8.5 sacks. Ojulari (6-foot-2, 249 pounds) has long arms, can win in a variety of ways and will be just 21 years old at the start of next season, meaning he could have plenty of room to grow. I love what the Giants did here.”
Pro Football Focus on Azeez Ojulari pick: Elite
“Ojulari could have easily been drafted in the first round, making this selection one of the better values so far in Round 2. He is one of the more advanced pass rushers in this class technically and has an impressive first step off the edge. It helped lead to a 91.7 PFF pass-rushing grade this past season at Georgia. Ojulari also happens to fill a clear area of need for the Giants, whose top four pressure leaders were all interior defenders in 2020.”
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski on Azeez Ojulari pick: A
“At 6’2″ and 249 pounds, Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari automatically comes up as a potential 3-4 outside linebacker even though NFL squads used base defenses only 24 percent of the time last season. Ojulari is an edge-rusher with arguably the best first step in the class. His Gumby-like flexibility creates opportunities to run the ring and shorten the path toward quarterbacks. Yet the 20-year-old isn’t built like a typical defensive end. That’s OK. What Ojulari lacks in prototypical size and girth, he makes up for with long arms (34⅜ inches) and powerful pop upon initial contact. He can be seen during games standing up and squeezing holes against much bigger pulling linemen… New York is loaded defensively with Leonard Williams dominating up front, tackling machine Blake Martinez at linebacker and one of the league’s most talented secondaries. The Giants couldn’t go into the season without some type of edge presence, but they shouldn’t have to worry about that any longer.”
NFL.com’s Cynthia Freelund on top Day 2 value picks
“Ojulari was my No. 22 big-board player ahead of the draft. The Giants now have two firsts, two thirds and two fourth-round picks next season from a series of trades, including the trade down to No. 50. To amass all of these picks and get a top-22 player at a position of need is the definition of value. Ojulari’s speed stands out. HIs burst — which is the speed (velocity) he reaches from the start of a play to the first 2 yards past the line of scrimmage — was the fastest in FBS last season. Alignment versatility adds another element to blitz and pressure packages.”
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso on Azeez Ojulari pick: A-
“My EDGE1 in this class. Plays the run better than expected for a smaller outside rusher because of his long arms and leverage. Freaky explosive. Good bend, Good pass-rush moves. The Giants needed more juice up front.”
