Azeez Ojulari’s first regular-season game with the Giants served as a prelude to what would follow in 2021, when he escaped from Broncos right tackle Bobby Massie and dropped Teddy Bridgewater to the MetLife Stadium turf for his first career sack.
He added another one the following week. One the third game, too.
And by the time the dust settled at the end of his inaugural campaign, the second-round pick had collected eight to set a Giants rookie record.
But when he lines up at that same outside linebacker spot Sunday, Ojulari, just 24 years old yet in his fourth NFL season, could be playing his final game for the Giants.
Ojulari said he won’t think about that, but instead be focused on the Commanders and whatever blocking packages they throw at Big Blue’s defense.
He’ll be focused on trying to help the Giants turn their season around, a 2-6 record at the crux of why his name has been linked to other teams to begin with.
Still, the NFL trade deadline looms Tuesday.
Ojulari, who dealt with injuries the past two seasons then lost his starting spot when the Giants acquired Brian Burns, has collected five sacks in three starts since Kayvon Thibodeaux landed on injured reserve, boosting his trade value for contending teams in need of edge-rushing help.
His first healthy season since a dominant rookie campaign has coincided with the final year of his rookie deal, and while his recent burst — paired with his past success — likely boosted the salary in Ojulari’s future, it also could impact his present.
“I’m not thinking about it at all, for real,” Ojulari told The Post. “I’m just all-in on this game right now, and whatever happens, happens. I’m not stressing it.”
For the first five weeks of the season, Ojulari was relegated to rotational snaps. Thirty percent in a game here. Forty percent there.
Burns, who the Giants traded for and then extended, snagged starting snaps after arriving, and that, given the context of the past two seasons derailed by hamstring and ankle injuries, forced Ojulari into an altered role.
He tried to soak in everything he could from Burns and Thibodeaux, using that information to spark improvements even if he didn’t necessarily receive the maximum number of game reps to test them.
Ojulari has the explosiveness, inside linebacker Bobby Okereke told The Post. He has a “very high motor.”
“And he’s always working moves,” Okereke said.
The Giants needed to rely on that again when Thibodeaux sustained a wrist injury during their Week 5 win and landed on injured reserve, and Olujari delivered with a pair of sacks against the Bengals in his first start of 2024.
He tripped Joe Burrow behind the line of scrimmage while he started to scramble.
Later in the same drive, he maneuvered around tackle Amarius Mims and dumped Burrow again.
Olujari added another sack the following week before adding two more during Monday’s loss to the Steelers.
Last year, Ojulari said, there were times when he’d be hesitant while playing.
Injuries morphed into mental hurdles. They prevented any degree of consistency from materializing.
He wanted to log every snap after healing without worrying about the threat of another injury.
“When you’re out there, you gotta play 100 percent,” Ojulari said. “You can’t be thinking about it because that’s gonna mess up your game. So that was something you gotta get over, too, and I feel like I’ve been solid this year.”
It took time to find a rhythm again in 2024, but for a different reason.
Ojulari didn’t have a path toward consistent snaps. That could be the case again when Thibodeaux returns.
The trade deadline — and the need to carve out a new role on a new team — could disrupt the flow he has finally rediscovered, too.
“I’ve always thought competition breeds excellence, so I think the addition of Brian Burns, if anything, motivated him to show that he’s an elite pass-rusher himself,” Okereke said, “and that in a very talented outside backer room of him and Kayvon and Burns, that he can see a lot of success and compete at a high level. I think he accepted the challenge from the start.”
