Giants’ Azeez Ojulari accepting of reduced role in critical prove-it year

And then there was one. 

Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari is not only the last player still with the Giants from former general manager David Gettleman’s flop of a final draft class in 2021, he is also the final player on the 90-man roster that Joe Schoen, Gettleman’s successor, did not either acquire or re-sign. 

But the Giants did make a de facto decision on Ojulari this offseason by reducing his role with the trade for two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns to take over as the starter opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Ojulari, who had 13.5 sacks through his first 24 career games, missed six games due to injury last season on top of 10 the year prior, and saw his sack production drop to 2.5 in 11 games. 

“When I’m out there, I have to produce, stay healthy and do what I can do — get to the quarterback, make TFLs [tackles for loss], make plays that I used to make,” Ojulari told The Post. “I’m going to get back to myself and show it out there. Seeing the end of last season was not what I wanted at all. It was a bad look on me and I took that to the core. I was like, ‘I can’t do that again.’ It won’t be like that anymore going forward.” 

One reason for optimism is that Ojulari thinks he got to the source of his persistent lower-body injuries (calf, quad, ankle, hamstring) when he hired a chiropractor during the offseason.