New York Giants rookie edge rusher Oshane Ximines is expected to do big things in his inaugural season in the pros.

One of the unsung heroes of this rookie class for the New York Giants may not even be one of their three first-round selections. It could very well be the man they picked No. 95 overall in the third round, Old Dominion edge rusher Oshane Ximines.

The young linebacker racked up 176 total tackles in 50 career games at ODU, with 32.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles. He totaled an impressive 11.5 sacks through 12 games in 2018.

The Giants knew they had to improve their pass rush, which is a big reason why they selected him. Big Blue tied for second-to-last in the NFL last season with 30 total sacks. They desperately need to improve that statistic if they plan on seeing success in 2019.

Now that mandatory minicamp has concluded, Ximines spoke to Matt Lombardo of NJ.com about his goals for the season and what he wants to bring to the organization.

“I just want to learn as much as possible,” Ximines said after the final minicamp practice on Thursday. “I want to be a sponge this year. I want to soak up as much as possible, and prove to my teammates and coaches that I’m someone who can be relied upon.

“Whatever they need me to do, I want them to be sure they know it’s okay to put ‘X’ in the game, because he’s going to get the job done.”

Ximines is aware of the Giants’ weakness last season when it came to the pass rush. He knows that if you want to be a successful defense, you need to constantly put pressure on the quarterback.

When discussing that part of football, Ximines is motivated to make a name for himself.

“My ability to rush the passer [is my biggest strength],” he said. “I feel like that’s what they saw in me when they decided to pick up the phone and draft me. That’s what I plan to keep doing. Not only on defense, but special teams as well. I want to do whatever I can to get this team in the right direction.”

Ximines is expected to compete with additional edge rushers Lorenzo Carter, Kareem Martin, and Markus Golden, in what should be an interesting competition heading into the rest of OTAs and training camp.