New York Giants: Owa Odighizuwa Eyes Role in Pass Rush

Second-year defensive end Owa Odighizuwa might just be the most underrated “addition” to the New York Giants defensive line in 2016.

The 2015 NFL season wasn’t exactly kind to the New York Giants, and, in particular, its defensive line- once the pride and joy of the defense

According to Football Outsiders, the Giants defensive line finished 22nd in run defense and 30th against the pass in 2015. That’s a far cry from the days of when Michael Strahan, Fred Robbins, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora dominated most opponents on their way to finishing fourth and first against the run and pass in 2007.

After watching the unit’s struggles last season, the defensive line received a complete makeover that included two new coaches (Patrick Graham and Jeff Zgonina) and a $140.6 million infusion of talent that includes defensive end Olivier Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, and the return of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

There’s another piece to that defensive line puzzle that hasn’t gotten as much “ink” for the role he’s being groomed to play, and that is second-year man Owa Odighizuwa.

Odighizuwa, the Giants’ third-round draft pick last year out of UCLA, came to the team with a great deal of promise as a versatile pass rusher.

“My goal is to show everybody that I am that third man that they’re looking for in the pass rush rotation.” — New York Giants DE Owa Odighizuwa

After a solid preseason where he recorded eight tackles (five solo), one tackle for a loss, one quarterback hit and one pass defensed in 131 defensive snaps played, the injury bug grabbed the rookie by the hamstring, limiting him to just 130 defensive snaps before he ended up on the team’s short-term injured reserve list.

Unlike some players who, limit their time around the team when they end up on the injured reserve, Odighizuwa remained as active as he could within the rules governing his IR designation.

He kept up with the playbook and the film study, he attacked his rehab vigorously, and when he became eligible to practice with the team after the mandatory six-week waiting time was up, he wanted to show the coaching staff that he had kept up.

Fully healthy, Odighizuwa said he’s excited about the opportunity to jump in head-first to help the Giants defensive front as a situational pass rusher.

He told me for Inside Football that he has worked in a variety of defensive packages this spring, sometimes playing the role of a “Buck” linebacker, playing with his hand in the ground, or dropping into coverage.

That might sound like a lot for a young player who missed the bulk of his rookie season due to injury, but Odighizuwa said he has more than embraced the challenge.

“I think it’s exciting,” he told Inside Football. “(Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is giving me a lot of versatility and opportunity, and I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Although it’s hard to fully assess a defensive lineman’s progress in the spring when there is no contact and no pads, Odighizuwa has actually stood out on several occasions when given his chances with the second-team defensive unit.

“I don’t feel like a rookie at all,” he said. “I feel like I have a leg up for sure. From what I learned last year, and the reps I did get and the experience I have, I feel like I’m definitely not starting from scratch like a rookie would. I think I’m a bit ahead of the curve from where I was this time last year.”

He has a lightning quick first step, which is something he tried to adapt when Umenyiora, his boyhood idol, made his living by exploding into the opposing backfield as soon as the ball was snapped.

That quick first step, in fact, enabled Odighizuwa to record several “sacks” and “hurries” of quarterback Ryan Nassib in spring practices that were open to the media.

Odighizuwa credits Umenyiora, whom we last spoke with before the Giants’ first game last season, for sharing some tips on what to look for to expedite his first step.

“That was huge last year,” Odighizuwa said. “Coming in I didn’t even know where to start, but he gave me some keys to read and I’m like, ‘Wow, if only I knew this in college.’”

This year, Odighizuwa expects to parlay his experience from last season, along with the tips Umenyiora shared, to become the third cog in the Giants’ pass rushing wheel.

“That’s an everyday thing for me,” he said during a meeting with reporters in April. “My goal is to show everybody that I am that third man that they’re looking for in the pass rush rotation.”

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