Azeez Ojulari’s successful career at Georgia appeared to be enough to ensure that he would be a 1st-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite a redshirt sophomore season that saw him record 9.5 sacks, Ojulari saw himself forced to wait until the 2nd day of the draft to hear his name called.

And the Atlanta-area native will be headed to the Big Apple as the New York Giants took him with the 50th overall pick and the 18th pick of the 2nd round. Defensive teammate Tyson Campbell was the first Dawg off the board in the 2nd round as he was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Eric Stokes was taken 29th overall by the Green Bay Packers.

But why did Ojulari drop out of the 1st round? An ACL tear in high school apparently raised some red flags, and although renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews reportedly gave him a clean bill of health in January, a number of teams didn’t feel Ojulari’s history was worth the risk despite a strong stint in Athens.

Ojulari will have a little of a chip on his shoulder as he begins his NFL career. We’ll see if the teams that passed on him end up rueing their decision.