Edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo spent his first four seasons with the Rams, so he knows a thing or two about playing with a dominant player on a defenisve front.
In Los Angeles, it was Aaron Donald. Now that he’s signed a three-year deal with Cleveland, he’s excited to pair with Myles Garrett.
“Yeah, we’ve talked, we’re just excited to go, just get after quarterbacks,” Okoronkwo said Wednesday, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “He’s watched a lot of my game and I’ve of course watched a bunch of his games. We’re just ready to play with each other and learn what each other likes and how to play off of each other.
“So yeah, we’re just excited to just get going.”
Garrett has recorded 16.0 sacks in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, he also had 18 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and four passes defensed.
“I think that his speed off the edge is amazing, it’s second to none,” Okoronkwo said. “His bend is also second to none.
“I think where I can complement him is, I think a lot of people talk about my spin moves, but I think my long arm and my ability to crush the pocket and disrupt the pocket is one of my biggest attributes. So I think as he’s rushing the edge, flying off the edge with all that speed, as I crush the pocket and just make the quarterback uncomfortable and have to escape in ways that he is not used to, I think that will just open it up for Myles more.”
Okoronkwo did not play in his rookie year after suffering a foot injury during the offseason program. But he played substantial snaps last year with Houston, starting eight games. He set career-highs with 5.0 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits.
Now he’ll have a chance to be even more productive playing opposite Garrett.