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After moving up in the second round to select Landon Collins, the Giants hung on to the 74th pick and selected UCLA defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa.
Once again the Giants move to improve their defense, taking the explosive Odigizhuwa to improve both their edge run defense and their pass rush. A pair of hip surgeries that cost him the 2013 season are the reason why Owa fell to the third round, however he passed all of the Giants' medical tests.
Odighizuwa -- who shall henceforth be known as "Double O" or "Owa" -- is an explosive athlete who was among the top performers at the combine in the 40 yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and short shuttle. As well, he has long arms and massive, active, violent hands. Owa makes his name with his ability to set the edge with his run defense, but he is a very underrated pass rusher as well. Last season he totaled 56 sacks, hits, and hurries in 2014, good for sixth among draft eligible players.
Able to play the run and rush the passer from both the edge and defensive tackle position, Owa has few negatives to his game beyond concerns about his hips.
Raptor's Thoughts
Once again the Giants get a player who can step in immediately and impact the run game.
But more than that, Double O brings with him tremendous upside. He is a physical specimen, and a tremendous athlete. He has all the tools to develop into a complete defensive end, and has drawn comparisons to Justin Tuck, another athletic defensive end who fell to the 70th pick due to a college injury.
And like Tuck, Owa excels in defending the run, plays with a relentless motor, can rush off the edge or as an interior rusher, and is a very high character young man.
In his Prospect Profile, Jesse had this to say:
He would be a nice addition to the Giants. He has upside as a pass rusher, but his primary responsibility at UCLA was to stop the run. And he excelled at that. The value in Owamagbe Odighizuwa is in how much pass rushing potential a team believes he has.
Owa is the 32nd-rated player on the Big Blue View Big Board. Disregarding his injury history, this is a massive steal for the Giants. Also, he provides yet another amusing verbal speed bump for commentators.