Giants trade for Alec Ogletree, giving up 2 NFL Draft picks for starting linebacker

The Giants' days of ignoring linebacker are coming to an end.

Wednesday's acquisition of Alec Ogletree confirms what has been suspected since the Giants put general manager Dave Gettleman in charge and first-year coach coach Pat Shurmur hired defensive coordinator James Bettcher to run a 3-4 defense.

The Giants acquired Ogletree and a seventh-round pick from the Rams in exchange for one of their two fourth-round picks and a sixth-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, according to multiple reports. That leaves the Giants with six picks but fills one of the team's biggest needs.

Why Giants should trade up (not down) in NFL Draft

Ogletree was a first-round pick who made the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2013. He started all 67 games that he played during his five-year career, missing 12 due to injury in 2015.

Ogletree signed a four-year contract worth $42.75 million that carries through the 2021 season but has an out after the 2019 season, according to spotrac.com.

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said at the NFL Combine that it is difficult to evaluate college linebackers because of the way the game has changed at that level.

"It's hard because there are all these bastaradized linebackers that do these funky things," Gettleman said. "What it comes down to with a linebacker is, 'Is he instinctive? Can he run? Is he athletic? Is he smart? Is he tough?'"

Apparently, Ogletree checks enough of those boxes.

The Giants have only sent one linebacker to the Pro Bowl (Antonio Pierce in 2006) since 2002, and only picked one linebacker in the top two rounds of the draft under former general manager Jerry Reese.

Fourth-round pick B.J. Goodson and undrafted free agent Calvin Munson were good finds the last two years, respectively. Team captain Jonathan Casillas was a starting linebacker who was injured during the latter half of last season and entering free agency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the trade.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.

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