New York Giants outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari was finally out on the practice field this past weekend after spending the first three weeks of training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list with a hamstring strain.
Ojulari, a second-round pick out of Georgia in last year’s NFL draft, led the Giants in sacks last season with 8.0, setting a new record for a Giants’ rookie.
This year, the Giants added a player to compliment Ojulari on the other side of the field in first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, sending the expectations for the pass rush through the roof.
“I feel like we’ve got a good group,” Ojulari told reporters on Sunday. “Everybody likes to come in and compete every day. Come in, work hard, stay the course, keep the main thing the main thing. We try to push each other every single day. I feel like we’re going to be good.”
It was the first time the Giants’ two young studs were on the field together at the same time. Ojulari was impressed with his new teammate.
“I like the way that he works. He comes in every day and competes and works hard. Tries to push everyone. Just gets better every day. A head down guy, just coming in, trying to get better and compete,” he said.
Ojulari acknowledged that having a player like Thibodeaux across the field from him will bring many benefits and ramp up the Giants’ dormant pass rush.
“Definitely, for sure — because we’ve got that same energy, same motor. We’re definitely going to push each other and feed off of each other’s energy and just get after people,” he said.
The defense as a whole will be more aggressive under new coordinator Wink Martindale and you can add Ojuari to the long list of admirers.
“I love him,” Ojulari said of Martindale. “He brings the energy every day. A competitive guy. He’s got that swagger about him. He just loves the energy and loves competing. It’s great playing for him.
“He’s just confident. He knows what he’s doing. He knows what he’s talking about, and you can see it in him every single day when he comes in the building.”
