Can Bobby Okereke bounce back?
The New York Giants have a respectable linebacker tandem with Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden slated to start. The latter is entering a contract year with steady development through his short career.
The Giants could get out of Okereke’s contract after the 2025 season if they desired; $9 million could be saved by the Giants with that decision, with just over $5 million in dead cap space. Okereke is set to count $14.4 million against the cap in 2026.
And this is my biggest question about the linebacker position — can Bobby Okereke get back to his 2023 level of play and possibly earn an extension rather than being a cap casualty after the season?
Okereke was a quality addition in his first season with the New York Giants (2023). He recorded 149 tackles, 56 STOPS (career high), five PBUs, two interceptions, with just a 7.7% missed tackle rate, while playing every snap. Okereke was the centerpiece on the second level for Wink Martindale in 2023.
However, he took a step backward in 2024 with Shane Bowen. He only played 12 games before herniating a disc in his back. He recorded 93 tackles and had one pass defense. The 28-year-old missed 10.7% of his tackles in 2024. His season was not terrible, but it was a slight step in the wrong direction, independent of the injury that was suffered against Dallas in Week 12.
The spine of the Giants’ defense remains a question mark, especially if Shane Bowen opts to play more two-high shells. Disciplined linebacker play is imperative; Okereke has proved he can play at a high level, but he must return to that style if the Giants’ defense wants to improve.
Other questions
Micah McFadden: New contract?
Is McFadden a natural fit for Bowen’s defense, and will he be a New York Giant in 2026? The Giants did not draft an inside linebacker in 2025, but they did add Darius Muasau in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 25-year-old recorded 107 tackles in 14 starts last season, with three sacks, eight tackles for a loss, and 11 pressures. He led the team in tackles and cleaned up his missed tackle rate from the previous season (seven percentage points improved).
It’s fair to question if McFadden is a true three-down linebacker. I like McFadden, and he’s proven his value as a blitzer in passing situations — something he excelled at while in college at Indiana. Still, McFadden’s coverage is a question mark and — at times — a vulnerable target over the middle of the field.
McFadden is one of the day three picks from Joe Schoen’s early tenure who have continuously improved through their career, but would OR should he be retained beyond 2025? We may receive that answer through the 2025 season, perhaps prior with an extension this summer.
Dyontae Johnson
Dyontae Johnson is a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Toledo who looks the part — 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, and rocked up. The 24-year-old was turning heads at training camp last year when Micah McFadden was ailing with an injury. Johnson made several plays in practice, and he translated those reps into positive plays in preseason against the Detroit Lions.
Unfortunately, Johnson sprained his ankle against the Lions and was placed on injured reserve at the end of August. He returned against the Colts in Week 17 and recorded 10 tackles against the Eagles in Week 18.
My question: Can the young player recapture that palpable momentum from last summer?
The depth question
The Giants have more depth at linebacker than they’ve had in years. Joe Schoen added Muasua at the tail end of the 2024 NFL Draft. He played 435 snaps — 45 in Week 1 with McFadden injured. Muasua, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Chris Board, and Ty Summers are all more special-teams-oriented players.
Still, decisions on McFadden’s future may be impacted if any of these players prove their worth as possible starting defenders; this pertains mainly to the 24-year-old Muasau. Flanningan-Fowles and Board are longtime special teamers, but the latter has started before, with 1,074 career defensive snaps under his belt.
I’m more comfortable with the state of the Giants’ linebacker room than I was in each of the last five seasons, yet I would not rule out another veteran addition during or possibly after camp/final cuts.
Okereke and McFadden + Shane Bowen
Shane Bowen discussed how difficult it is to play linebacker in his system during Hard Knocks. Linebackers must quickly read through their run/pass keys while processing motion that could change run responsibilities that may also affect what the secondary is doing. Essentially, a lot is going on, and linebackers are usually even or minus one in the box, depending on the offensive formation.
The weaker defensive line and lighter boxes hindered the overall run defense in 2024, and the linebackers had a lot on their plate. Will 2025 be different for Okereke and McFadden, and will the extra year in the system allow them to master Bowen’s vision fully?
