Ravens Trade DL C.J. Okoye To Giants

Another former Ravens player is joining John Harbaugh in New York. The Giants have acquired defensive lineman C.J. Okoye from the Ravens for a 2028 seventh-round pick, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Okoye grew up in Nigeria and primarily played basketball before earning an invite to the UpRise American football camp. He worked under former Giants standout Osi Umenyiora, who recognized the prospect’s talents despite his struggles.

“He didn’t test particularly well in the drills [at The Uprise],” Umenyiora previously told ESPN’s Leonard Solms. “The problem is — because they have never done those drills before and it’s a different kind of training to execute them properly — when you test them, the numbers won’t be that impressive.

“But then you put him in a competitive situation and he stands out. So, after watching him in competition, I decided he was well worth a chance.”

His Uprise appearance led to further opportunities, including the NFL Africa camp where Okoye served as an offensive lineman. He eventually made the cut for the NFL International Combine, and from there, he earned a spot in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

He got his first NFL gig with the Chargers in 2023, with the team utilizing him as a defensive lineman. He spent his two seasons in Los Angeles on the team’s practice squad before inking a reserve/futures contract with the Ravens at the beginning of the 2025 offseason. After initially earning a spot on Baltimore’s practice squad, he was promoted to the 53-man roster in October. He proceeded to get into 13 games with the Ravens last year, compiling 15 stops in 13 games.

As Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes, the Giants always seemed destined to add some defensive tackle depth. However, considering the anticipated lack of options on the waiver wire, the organization decided to make a trade for one of Harbaugh’s former players. In New York, Okoye will slide in behind Darius Alexander and perhaps behind sixth-round rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis on the depth chart. Okoye shouldn’t take long to catch up with his new squad; besides Harbaugh, Okoye is familiar with Giants DL coach (and former Ravens coach) Dennis Johnson.