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The Impact of Ifeadi Odenigbo to New York Giants Defense

The New York Giants have been very active in NFL free agency as their big catch was play-making wide receiver Kenny Golladay agreeing to a four-year deal. But, it has been the under-the-radar moves that has caught everyone’s attention. One such move was the Giants signing Minnesota Vikings edge pass rusher Ifeadi Odenigbo to a one-year/$2.5 million deal. It isn’t earth-shattering but could have an impact on the defense next season.

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Giants Looking For Consistent Pass Rush With Ifeadi Odenigbo

Rushing the quarterback has been a sore spot for the Giants for far too long. The signing of Odenigbo is an astute move. It gives them another option to generate some form of a consistent pass rush from the outside. Odenigbo is a clear upgrade as the Giants roster lacks a pure edge pass rusher.

The Giants have waited for the likes of Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximmes, and Kyler Fackrell to develop, but each has failed to make an impact on the football field. All have missed significant playing time due to injury. So, you can expect Odenigbo to be given every opportunity to become the primary edge pass rusher in training camp this summer.

Odenigbo’s NFL Road Has Been Long And Bumpy

His road to the Meadowlands has been long and a bit bumpy at times. Odenigbo was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and earned a spot on their practice squad in his rookie season. However, Odenigbo was cut four times by three different teams (Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals) before returning to Minnesota for a second tour of duty.

The time was right for Odenigbo to shine and develop into a good situational pass rusher. Quickly, he showed the ability to get to the quarterback upon his return to the Vikings. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Odenigbo rated 75 percent efficiency for the 2019 season. The Vikings defensive coaching staff believed he could take that next step into a more significant role on the defensive line.

However, Odenigbo struggled with the promotion from a reserve role into the starting lineup. He started 15 games but had trouble generating any form of a pass rush because of the constant double-teaming by the opposition. The end result was the Vikings defensive line being rated one of the worst in the NFL last season.

In 32 career games, Odenigbo has 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for losses, 28 quarterback hits, one safety, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown. With this type of production, it was a head-scratcher that the Vikings elected not to tender him a contract offer. Especially, with the unknown factor on the playing status of Danielle Hunter as he is recovering from neck surgery.

Ifeadi Odenigbo A Low-Risk, High-Reward Signing

In New York, Odenigbo is expected to return to his 2019 form. No longer does he have to be the main source of the team’s pass rush. Odenigbo is a part of a talented defensive line unit that includes Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence.

Odenigbo does not have to be dominant, just consistent at putting pressure on the quarterback. His skill set fits perfectly into the Giants 3-4 defense. Now, it is up to Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to devise a scheme to utilize his talents.

This free-agent signing comes with tremendous upside. Just another low-risk/high-reward investment where a change of scenery and playing for a new defensive coaching staff could bring out the best in Odenigbo.

The odds are definitely in his favor to succeed.

Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images

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