Bobby

Okereke

Head coach Brian Daboll called Okereke week to week, meaning he’s unlikely to suit up versus the Saints. Okereke has two sacks, three forced fumbles, and a pair of recovered fumbles this year. He also leads the Giants in combined tackles.

The deal reportedly includes $22 million guaranteed. Okereke is the latest ‘backer to get paid on a surprisingly robust day for the position. An every-down player the past two seasons, Okereke held up better against the run in 2022 and offers a bit of play-making juice. Although Okereke is probably ultimately just a league-average player, he is sliding into a major trouble spot for the Giants.

Schultz links Okereke to the Bears and Panthers. Coming off his rookie deal, Okereke played strong ball this past season but has had some fairly poor PFF run grades over the years. However, he turns 27 in July and should age well enough to get a few guaranteed years on the open market.

Okereke missed Week 12 as well and remains week to week after going DNP-DNP-DNP in practice this week. He’s been shaky in coverage but a volume tackler in the Colts’ two-deep zone defense. At least the Colts are welcoming back DT DeForest Buckner back to the lineup this week.

The Colts will also be without stud DTs DeForest Buckner and Denico Autry opposite King Henry and Tennessee’s dominant o-line. Okereke was responsible for four tackles and a pass deflection the last time Indianapolis squared off against the Titans. Tyquan Lewis notably got the start in practice alongside Grover Stewart Friday and will likely rotate in with Al-Quadin Muhammad in the interim.

The Colts have now signed their entire draft class. Okereke led Stanford with 96 tackles last season — playing a career-high 917 defensive snaps as an every-down linebacker. He has some lapses in coverage, but Okereke will push Anthony Walker for the starting MIKE job this summer.

Okereke (6’1/239) was a three-year starter in the Cardinal linebacker corps, tallying 19 career tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups and twice earning honorable mention All-Pac 12. Okereke tested as an above-par 62nd-percentile athlete in Indy, blazing 4.58 with a bursty 10-foot-2 broad jump. Experienced and competent on all three downs with plus range and vine-like arms (34 ½") which help in coverage, Okereke projects as early-career special teams help with starting-caliber upside as a poor man’s K.J. Wright.

Okereke (6’1/239) was a three-year starter in the Cardinal linebacker corps, tallying 19 career tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups and twice earning honorable mention All-Pac 12. Okereke tested as an above-par 62nd-percentile athlete in Indy, blazing 4.58 with a bursty 10-foot-2 broad jump. Experienced and competent on all three downs with plus range and vine-like arms (34 ½") which help in coverage, Okereke projects as early-career special teams help with starting-caliber upside as a poor man’s K.J. Wright.

Okereke gets a Round 2 grade from Miller, which is the highest we’ve seen the linebacker graded; at least lately, anyway. Miller cites his “solid awareness as underneath zone defender to diagnose and disrupt timing routes,” and notes that he’s a quality linebacker in coverage. His concerns come in Okereke’s tendency to lose leverage, and that he doesn’t always appear willing to engage. “He’s a back-side linebacker with explosive traits to make flash plays in the backfield,” Miller writes in his summary. “Whichever team drafts him will need to have a stout defensive line up front to keep him clean and let him run.”

Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline passing along these times. Both of the above times were improvements over what Okereke turned in during the combine. While Pauline currently views the Stanford linebacker as a fifth-round prospect, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller wrote near the end of March that he viewed Okereke as “one of the hottest names in the draft.” Miller believes a Day 2 selection is within reach, here.