ALLEN PARK, Mich. — You look up and there he is, plugging the middle of the field against the run.
You look up again and there he is, again, running with a tight end down the field.
You look up a third time and there again is Bobby Okereke, doing his best to cover a running back darting out of the backfield.
Okereke, the past two days during the Giants’ joint practices with the Lions, was everything, everywhere, all at once.
Get used to it.
It is expected his name will be called more often than that of any other Giants defensive player and that his snap count will be up there among the team leaders.
There are not a whole bunch of three-down linebackers anymore in the NFL.
The Giants believe they added one of them when they signed Okereke to a four-year contract worth $40 million after the 27-year-old established himself in four seasons with the Colts.
“Good person,’’ head coach Brian Daboll said. “He’s fit into our system well, he’s smart, has good leadership traits. He’s had a good camp.’’
The identity of Okereke’s running mate at inside linebacker is important, but it is not imperative the Giants come up with a rising star or a proven veteran.
The front office has a list of names at every position, players who could come free as teams trim their rosters — though this year there is only one cutdown, from 90 to 53, set for Aug. 29.
There is a list for inside linebackers, but it is not a high priority right now.
The Giants figure to use two inside linebackers on the field at the same time perhaps no more than 20 percent of the snaps with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale calling the shots.
Okereke is the three-down man, and whoever else mans the spot next to him — Darrian Beavers and Micah McFadden are the frontrunners — will be a situational defender, on the field on one down, off it the next.
“Guys are competing out there, we will let it all sort itself out,’’ Daboll said.
A report that Giants will bring in veteran inside linebacker Anthony Barr for a visit is not accurate.
Barr, 31, started 10 games last season for the Cowboys, registering 58 tackles.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his eight years with the Vikings and, with 108 NFL regular-season starts and seven more in the playoffs, would provide experience to an inside linebacker group that does not have much of it behind Okereke.
Barr was reportedly close to signing with the Saints, but he has not yet committed anywhere.
Beavers and McFadden are products of general manager Joe Schoen’s first draft class.
Beavers (sixth round) offers more size at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds. McFadden (fifth round) is smaller at 6-2 and 232 pounds and is better in space.
Okereke can line up as the middle linebacker or as the weak side linebacker.
“I think that’s what’s great about Bobby,’’ Martindale said. “He can play either and we’ll just take the best player available [at the other spot].’’