Azeez Ojulari led the Giants with eight sacks in 2021, the most by a Giants rookie since individual defensive sacks were first tracked in 1982. He broke the former rookie record of 5.5 sacks set by B.J. Hill in 2018.
Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had 9.5 sacks in his rookie season of 1981, a year before sacks became an official stat.
After the Giants used the fifth overall choice on Kayvon Thibodeaux, Ojulari said he hopes to hold the record for only one season.
The Giants are counting on Thibodeaux for immediate help in improving a pass rush that ranked 22nd last season.
“I don’t want to think too big. You have to compartmentalize the season,” Thibodeaux told NFL Network. “If I could average at least one sack a game or contribute five to 10 tackles a game, then I’ll be good.
“That’s the smartest way to do it. You never want to look at the end. You always want to take it day by day. If you reach for the top, you’ll miss those steps right in front of you. So I know if I take those small steps and get that one sack or five to 10 tackles a game, by the end of the season, I’ll be where I want to be.”
Thibodeaux had seven sacks in 10 games last season at Oregon and finished his three seasons in college with 19 sacks in 30 games. He also totaled 126 tackles, including 35.5 tackles for loss.