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Giants' John Harbaugh Sets the Record Straight on 365-Pound Addition
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- Giants' John Harbaugh Sets the Record Straight on 365-Pound Addition
(Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Just before the start of the NFL season, the New York Giants made a huge move for their defensive tackle room. Literally.
The Giants traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for C.J. Okoye , a 6-foot-6, 365-pound interior defender who is expected to play a significant role in the trenches for New York this fall.
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John Harbaugh coached Okoye in Baltimore last year, and when asked about the behemoth, he explained how the Giants plan on using him.
"We see him as an inside defender, a defensive tackle, A gap, B gap player, run stopper, pocket pusher in terms of the past game and just a really big physical player," Harbaugh said . "So kind of a type of guy we've been looking for and we're really excited to get him up here."
Okoye is an interesting player for reasons beyond his size.
The 24-year-old came to the NFL via the international player pathway in 2023, first joining the Los Angeles Chargers and spending a couple of years on their practice squad before linking up with the Ravens last season.
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A Nigerian native, Okoye just started playing football a few years ago and admitted he didn't even know what a sack was when he first made one in an NFL preseason game.
Okoye ended up playing in 13 games for Baltimore last season, logging 15 tackles in a limited role. But given the state of the Giants' defensive tackle room heading into 2026, he will surely receive considerably more playing time this year.
"So a guy who had been a developmental-type guy, learning the game and tremendous physical skills, hard worker, has really dedicated himself over the last few years to learning the game really because he didn't play it growing up and made great strides, made great strides with Dennis Johnson, our defensive line coach last year," Harbaugh said. "That's where he kind of broke through and had a really good season."
Okoye possesses very impressive athleticism for his size and seems to have good instincts, so there is a legitimate possibility that he could end up becoming a defensive anchor for New York down the line.
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The Giants will likely have DJ Reader and Shelby Harris as their two starting defensive tackles to begin the campaign. Darius Alexander and Bobby Jamison-Travis are in the mix, as well, and it's also important to remember that Chauncey Golston will get some snaps on the interior, as well.
It will be interesting to see where that leaves Okoye, but you get the feeling that New York will find a way to get him on the field.
