Former Lions 5th-round pick Amani Oruwariye signing with Giants

Former Detroit Lions fifth-round pick Amani Oruwariye is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the New York Giants, according to a report from Jordan Schultz. Oruwariye was an unrestricted free agent after spending four years with Detroit on his rookie deal.

Oruwariye had an up-and-down career with the Lions. Considered a late-round “steal” in the 2019 NFL Draft, Oruwariye had shown flashes of being a starter-level talent. In fact, he was the full-time starter for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He had his best career season in 2021, where he tallied six interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and a total of 57 tackles—including two tackles for loss.

However, last season was a step back for Oruwariye. Though he maintained his role to start the season, his play quickly dipped and he was benched five weeks into the season. He would only end up playing 137 defensive snaps the rest of the way and had a minor role on special teams. He finished the season with an NFL-low 30.0 PFF grade.

Oruwariye’s return to Detroit always seemed unlikely, but it was made near certain after the Lions’ first week in free agency. The Lions signed three starting-capable cornerbacks last week in Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner Johnson. That left Oruwariye with no spot on the roster to fill.

Now he’ll join the Giants with a chance to resurrect his career in a new environment.

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