Heading into the offseason, it was clear that the Giants needed to upgrade their linebackers unit, particularly the interior of the group.

Bobby Okereke, who has thrived playing in the middle of the field for the Indianapolis Colts, seemed like a perfect fit, not just in the minds of fans, but in his own mind as well.

So when the Giants came calling, Okereke knew he and Big Blue could be a perfect match.

“This was a team I had my eye on. There was a lot of mutual interest,” said Okereke, who signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Giants at the start of the league new year.

“When things lined up, just worked with my agent. I told him once we had the right deal, I was ready to pull the trigger. So, this honestly is the perfect situation for me.

"Skillset-wise, you’re getting a fast, physical linebacker. Very smart, very intelligent. Has good ball skills and is sideline to sideline. I love to run and hit, and I’m just a team-first guy. I don’t have a big ego – a humble guy. I just want to win games.”

Okereke, a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2019, proved himself to be a reliable member of the Indianapolis defense over the course of his four years there, appearing in 64 games with 49 starts while racking up 420 combined tackles, three interceptions, four forced fumbles and 2.0 sacks.

That sack number may seem a tad low, but he was rarely asked to blitz in Indianapolis, something he foresees himself doing a lot more of in Wink Martindale’s aggressive, pressure-based scheme.

“I love playing fast and physical. And I think that’s why Coach Martindale blitzes so much, so players can play free,” Okereke said. “There’s not a lot of thinking, and that’s what you want to eliminate. You want to eliminate thinking and just have fast decision-making,”

Okereke added: “But Wink knows, I told him, I’ll play Mike (linebacker), I’ll play Will (linebacker). Just wherever the team needs me, so we can be the most successful."

Considered by most analysts to be one of the top linebackers available in this year’s free agent class, Okereke had other teams interested in his services.

But at the end of the day, the 26-year-old couldn’t turn down a chance to play in the Big Apple, with a pair of big-time defensive tackles in front of him.

“I told my agent from day one, ‘I want to play in New York City.’ New York City’s been one of my favorite cities, growing up, my whole life,” Okereke said. “And this franchise is on the rise. I was very fortunate to play behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Very elite defensive tackles, and to be able to replicate that, if not improve on that here with Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, it’s just a very fortunate opportunity for me as a linebacker.

"I'm excited for the opportunity. I’m excited to meet the leaders of this team. I’m excited to be part of this defense and franchise.”