Last Chance for Oshane Ximines to Prove His NFL Worth?

Oshane Ximines, Outside Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 254 pounds
2022 Stats: 15 GP/4 GS. 24 tackles (15 solo), 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery.

After the New York Giants did not draft any edge rushers in the 2023 draft, they brought back four-year veteran Oshane Ximines, who had been an unrestricted free agent. The Old Dominion product had a career-high 506 snaps during the 2022 season, and his play improved from the previous year when he fell out of favor with ex-coach Joe Judge.

However, after a promising start last season, his play faded as he struggled to set the edge consistently. Given another chance to prove his NFL worth, can he do so?

Best Case Scenario

Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari are the Giants’ primary edge rushers, but both of them dealt with injuries last season, which gave Ximines a larger workload. The 506 snaps wasn’t just a career-high; it was more snaps than his previous two seasons combined.

In general, Ximines showed improvement over his previous two seasons and had his best season since his rookie year, stat-wise. He generated 15 quarterback pressures, including three sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. His tackling improved; his missed tackle percentage went from 21.4 in 2021 to 13.6 in 2022.

Ximines's play faded as the season went on, so much so that the Giants initially didn't bring him back. But after not landing another edge rusher in the draft or free agency, here he is again, with some hope that he can build on his numbers from the previous season and turn himself into an asset.

Worst Case Scenario

Ximines’ fate as a rotational player was sealed even before the Giants drafted Thibodeaux fifth overall in 2022. Ximines was originally seen as a future starter when drafted, but shoulder and hamstring injuries hurt his development, as did struggles to defend the run.

Another concern of Ximines is his lack of tackle production. Across four years, his highest tackle total in a season is 25, which he matched twice in 2019 and 2022. That’s a well-below-average total, and even with his improvement in missed tackle percentage, 13.6 percent certainly isn’t what the Giants want as they try to cut down on missed tackles (it is certainly better than the abysmal 21.4 percent in 2021, though).

The worst-case scenario with Ximines is that he’s hit his ceiling as a player; although his numbers aren’t bad, they’re not great either.

What To Expect in 2023

Unless the Giants add another edge rusher, they will go into 2023 with the same cast of characters as last year, including Ximines. The window for Ximines to become a starter with this team has closed, but hopefully, he's put in the off-season work to improve his consistency against the run.