INSIDE STUFF
Okereke's interior presence highlights Giants' aim to stop run
Inside linebacker likely was the Giants’ weakest position last year, resulting in their greatest on-field struggle.
Their most expensive offseason addition is confident he can be the needed fix.
After four years emerging as one of the league’s most-proficient tacklers with the Colts, Bobby Okereke signed a four-year deal worth $40 million to become the new fulcrum in the middle of the Giants’ defense. Along with Darrian Beavers, who is expected to start alongside Okereke at inside linebacker, the two will make up a completely new-look starting tandem from a season ago.
“[Okereke] has been a good addition,” head coach Brian Daboll said before practice on Monday. “He’s got good length and speed. He practices hard. He’s done a good job [with his leadership]. He’s been playing both spots.
We’ll see where it goes.”
The Giants started six different players at inside linebacker last year and struggled badly against the run game. They surrendered 5.2 yards per carry in the regular season, which was tied for the second-worst mark in the NFL, and 2,451 total rushing yards, which was the sixth-most in the league.
Giants linebackers recorded 87 total defensive stops — which measures tackles deemed to be successful plays for the defense, as total tackles can be misleading with tackles made after successful offensive plays — combined last year, 19 fewer than any other unit in the league.
Enter Okereke, whose specialty is stopping the run. He recorded 75 defensive stops and 151 total tackles last year, both tied for 10th-most among linebackers.
Stopping the run has been a point of emphasis for the Giants’ defense through the early days of training camp, and they’ll be able to really start honing in on that mission once they start practicing with pads on Tuesday.
“One hundred percent [it’s my strength],” Okereke said. “It takes 11 guys to do their own job at the same time. But also, once you fit your gap, go be a football player and tackle the ball.
“It takes that dogmatic mentality to go make the tackles, but you also have to do your one-of-11. Stay in your A-gap, stay in your B-gap, set the edge. It takes everybody.”
One of those 11 guys needed to do their job will likely be Beavers.
A sixth-round pick last year, Beavers impressed during training camp and was surprisingly pushing for a starting job before he tore his ACL during the second preseason game.
Now healthy, he and Okereke often mix between the two starting inside linebacker roles during practice, which Okereke said are mostly interchangeable.
After the position was marred by so much inconsistency last year, can Okereke and Beavers combine to form a stable, and successful, pairing?
“It’s great working with somebody that’s been in the league and has done well in the league for a while [as Okereke],” Beavers said. “For me, it’s just trying to take as much as possible from him, if that’s in the meeting room, the weight room, on the field.
“I think we have a really good linebacker room this year. It’s a group effort, it’s not just two people out there. We have to come together as a linebacker room and be better than we were last year.”
Beavers’ path to the starting job is a bit ironic.
After his own injury cost him the role last year, Jarrad Davis — who likely would have started over Beavers — tore his ACL during OTAs this year, opening the door for Beavers to once again attempt to claim the position.
Micah McFadden, who is entering his second season after the Gi
ants drafted him in the fifth round in 2022, likely provides the greatest competition at the position for Beavers. Carter Coughlin, who is entering his third year after the team drafted him in the seventh round in 2020, is in the mix as well.
Beyond stopping the run, Okereke and Beavers — or whoever lines up at inside linebacker — will play important roles in the passing game, particularly covering opposing tight ends.
The Giants’ offense gives them important tests in that regard every day.
“I just think this team is as competitive as can be,” Okereke said. “Our offense, you’re going against Saquon Barkley, Darren Waller, [Daniel Jones]. I mean, there’s [Darius] Slayton. Guys are flying around. So, it makes us better. It makes us competitive. From a tackling standpoint, I’m just trying to tackle the ball every time they hand it off.”