Is Azeez Ojulari a top candidate to be traded by Giants?

The NFL trade deadline falls on Tuesday, November 5 — Election Day — this year. And while that’s still many months out, analysts and writers are already beginning to compile lists of players likely to be on the move.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has it narrowed down to three for the New York Giants, the most obvious being wide receiver Darius Slayton, who has been considered a “trade candidate” for years now.

The second of the three listed by Knox is cornerback Aaron Robinson, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft who has rarely seen the field due to injuries. He has almost no trade value whatsoever, so it’s hard to imagine a team sending the Giants a cup of coffee for him.

The final player on Knox’s list is far more intriguing: edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.

Pass-rushers are always at a premium, and the 2021 second-round pick has flashed a high upside during his three seasons in New York. As a rookie, Ojulari recorded eight sacks and an impressive 27 quarterback pressures.

However, Ojulari’s role has been diminished over the last two years, specifically after the 2022 first-round selection of Kayvon Thibodeaux. Jihad Ward, now with the Minnesota Vikings, was Thibodeaux’s primary edge-rushing complement in 2023. The arrival of Burns is likely to keep Ojulari in a rotational role this season.

With Thibodeaux, Burns and Dexter Lawrence II likely to form the foundation of New York’s pass rush for the foreseeable future, Ojulari may not be viewed as a long-term piece of the puzzle. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and could be valued more by a franchise that lacks entrenched edge-rushing stars.

Knox argues that instead of losing Ojulari in free agency (for nothing) next year, they could trade him by November’s deadline and recoup something. The fault in that argument is that Ojulari would potentially factor into the compensatory pick formula, so allowing him to walk in free agency wouldn’t be a “for nothing” loss.

Additionally, the presence of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns may only serve to benefit Ojulari. He will see a lesser workload and that may help prevent him from further injury. Moreover, Shane Bowen’s defense is built around four stout pass rushers up front and Ojulari is a productive asset when he’s able to stay on the field.

If the Giants get into October and November and determine they are unlikely to re-sign Ojulari, they could decide to move him if general manager Joe Schoen believes the return will outweigh anything they might gain in the compensatory pick chase.