With roster cutdown day approaching on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens are trading defensive lineman C.J. Okoye to the New York Giants.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Ravens will receive a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Giants in exchange for Okoye.
The Ravens are entering a new era with Jesse Minter as head coach. Even though he has previously worked on John Harbaugh’s staff, Okoye was not on the team during his initial stint in Baltimore from 2017 to ’20.
Okoye originally entered the NFL in 2022 through the international pathway program and had been projected to play offensive line. He was assigned to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023, then switched to defense as a nose tackle.
In his first-ever appearance in an organized football game during the 2023 preseason, Okoye sacked Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett.
After not appearing in a regular-season game during his two years with the Chargers, Okoye signed a reserve/future contract with the Ravens in January 2025.
The Ravens signed Okoye to their practice squad before the start of last season. He was called up to the active roster and made his first appearance in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I feel like I’ve still got more to do; I’ve still got more growing to do – but I’m learning right now and I’m picking it up. I feel like I’ve still got more to give and I just want to win,” Okoye told ESPN’s Leonard Solms in October 2025.
Okoye went on to appear in 13 games, recording 15 combined tackles and one quarterback hit. He found himself likely to be out of the defensive line rotation with Nnamdi Madubuike returning after an injury-plagued 2025 and Rayshaun Benny added as a late-round draft pick this year.
He is going to a place in the Giants with a head coach that knows him very well and can offer him playing time. Their defensive interior prior to the trade included Shelby Harris, D.J. Reader, Josh Tupou, sixth-round rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis and undrafted rookies Anquin Barnes Jr. and Ben Barten.
Okoye at least gives the Giants a wild-card player with upside to boost their defensive tackle play, particularly as they try to shore up a run defense that allowed the second-most rushing yards in the NFL last season.