The New York Giants dealt three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals over the weekend, and even though they got ample compensation in return (the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft), the move left a gaping hole in the middle of their defense.
The Giants will be looking to backfill that void via every means available to them, the draft, free agency, and, yes, even another trade.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post expects the Giants to sign veteran D.J. Reader, who recently visited the team, following the draft to protect the compensatory pick formula.
The Giants have a huge void in the middle of their defense. They were 31st in the league last season in run defense, and that was with Lawrence starting all 17 games.
The defensive tackles on their roster are Darius Alexander, Roy Robertson-Harris, Elijah Chatman, Sam Roberts and Marlon Tuipulotu. Help is needed. Lots of it. Expect the Giants to sign veteran D.J. Reader, making it official after the draft to protect the compensatory pick formula. Reader visited last week, and pairing him with Lawrence was on the table. Not any longer, of course.
The 31-year-old Reader is a solid veteran presence that can be a rotational piece up front on defense. He's not a one-for-one replacement for Lawrence, if there even is one. Reader is a reliable source. In his career, he has averaged nearly 60 percent of the defensive snaps. In his last two seasons with Detroit, he averaged 53 percent. The Giants will take that.
The draft has some players that Giants general manager Joe Schoen and his staff have shown some interest in, but none that would warrant them using one of their two Top 10 picks on.
This is not a strong class of defensive tackles, which is why taking one at No. 5 or No. 10 is not a consideration. The second round is where the value aligns with the talent. Figure that Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) and Peter Woods (Clemson) go in the first round. The Giants have the fifth pick in the second round, No. 37 overall, and that could be the sweet spot for defensive tackle prospects Caleb Banks (Florida) or Christen Miller (Georgia). At present, the Giants do not own a third-round pick, which is where Zxavian Harris (Ole Miss), Lee Hunter (Texas Tech) and Dominique Orange (Iowa State) could come off the board.
Miller and Hunter have been in on top-30 visits with the Giants, as have Woods, Tyre West (Tennessee), and Chris McClellan (Missouri).
Knowing they have Reader in the wings could affect how and where they draft a rookie this week, but many experts are saying they can't wait any later than Round 4.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants expected to sign D.J. Reader after 2026 NFL draft