The Giants resorted to retreads signed from the street at Inside Linebacker in their two playoff games last season. It was painfully obvious that the position needed an overhaul after they conceded 268 yards in the divisional round to a 38-7 loss to the Eagles.
On day one of free agency, Giants general manager Joe Schoen landed one of the best inside linebackers out there. Bobby Okereke has agreed to a four-year, $40 million deal with a $22 million guarantee, a league official with knowledge of the deal has confirmed.
Okereke, who was ranked 38th on The Athletic’s top 150 free agents list, has spent the last four seasons with the Colts. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder made an impression in the Giants’ 38-10 win over the Colts in Week 17 with 17 tackles and an unnecessary roughness penalty for a late hit against quarterback Daniel Jones. Obviously, there were no uncomfortable feelings as Okereke now joins Jones as one of the Giants’ highest-paid players.
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How it fits: Okereke jumps in immediately as the Giants’ top inside linebacker. He played 85 percent of defensive snaps at Indianapolis last season and 98.4 percent of snaps in 2021. He’s clearly a three-down linebacker, and he’s expected to fill that role in New York.
Okereke’s forte is running defense, which should help a unit that conceded the sixth-most rushing yards last season. Okereke is not a liability in terms of coverage and he has the physical attributes to improve in that area. He has three interceptions and two sacks in four seasons.
Effects 2023: Okereke gives the Giants a quality, proven NFL linebacker who was missing from the roster prior to his signing. His presence will allow 2022 sixth-round pick Darrian Beavers or a draft pick this year to develop at the inside linebacker’s other spot. The Giants also re-signed Jarrad Davis, who joined the lineup after signing late last season, as a veteran option.
Okereke had to take on a bigger role last season because Colts All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard was limited to three games through injury. Okereke was up to the task, posting career bests in tackles (151) and tackles for loss (6).
Story: Okereke is a first generation American born to Nigerian parents. Okereke, an Eagle Scout, attended Stanford, where he succeeded former Giant Blake Martinez as inside linebacker. Okereke ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 Scouting Combine and had strong results on his 10-yard split, long jump and three-pin drill. Okereke was a third-round pick by the Colts in 2019 and has missed just two games in four seasons. The 26-year-old has 49 career starts behind him.
Cap update: The Giants entered free reign with about $20 million in salary caps. The structure of Okereke’s contract is yet to be revealed, but expect his 2023 cap hit to be below the $10 million average annual value.
The inside linebacker market was active on day one of free agency when Tremaine Edmunds signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Bears. Okereke landed the next biggest contract for an inside linebacker. Better deals included Germaine Pratt with the Bengals (three years, $20.3 million), TJ Edwards with the Bears (three years, $19.5 million) and David Long with the Dolphins (two years, $11 million). .
Outlook: This is the kind of move that Schoen predicts. Okereke is a significant upgrade in a position of great need, but it’s not a top-of-the-market deal. The Giants have too many holes to overspend in one position, so they must keep handing out money to fix their weaknesses. Further reinforcements on the defensive are needed, and Schoen also has to add weapons in the passing game.
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