PFF Names This Giant as a Potential "Secret Superstar" for 2024

The New York Giants signed linebacker Bobby Okereke last summer to a four-year $40 million deal to help them fortify the middle of their defense and the defense as a whole. Okereke quickly impacted the Giants on the field, being voted a captain in his first season with the team.

Okereke joined the Giants after he had the best season of his career with the Indianapolis Colts. In 2022, Okereke accounted for 151 tackles, with 99 being solo tackles. Okereke posted similar numbers in his first season with the Giants.

He quietly had one of the best seasons of any linebacker in the NFL this season. After missing out on the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, Okereke returns next season aiming to have a third consecutive successful season.

During his first season in New York, Okereke and fellow linebacker Micah McFadden helped solidify the Giants' linebacker position, combined for over 200 tackles.

In his first season with the Giants, Okereke registered more sacks than every other season combined. The veteran linebacker has only missed one game in his entire five-year career. Okereke has effectively given the Giants a player they can build around moving into the future.

Although he missed out on the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro nomination, Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus named Okereke the team's secret superstar next season.

Okereke proved his value to the Giants in his first season with the team in 2023, leading the team with 149 tackles — the 10th-most in the NFL — and earning a 78.2 overall PFF grade. The former Colt was a leader and stepped up when the Giants needed him the most. 

He did everything from rush the passer, earning 20 pressures, to snagging two interceptions and proving reliable in coverage.

His ability to defend the run and the pass made Okereke one of the best linebackers in the league. Okereke takes pride in his ability to be productive in both areas.

"I think coverage has been such an asset of mine," Okereke told reporters. "Coaches have always felt that if they blitz in front of me, I'm a guy who can scrape over the top and clean things up. Or if I'm the sole guy in coverage, I'm going to hold up."