The entire NFL world knew that after trading Dexter Lawrence the New York Giants would have to address the defensive tackle position somewhere in the 2026 NFL Draft. I doubt anyone, though figured that would be with the sixth-round selection of Bobby Jamison-Travis.
Kayden McDonald maybe, but the Houston Texans jumped in front of the Giants to select him in Round 2. Other names we talked about at Big Blue View included Lee Hunter, Christen Miller, Chris McClellan, Dominique Orange, Dontay Corleone, Tim Keenan, and Zane Durant. The Giants said no to all of those guys, and every other defensive tackle available when they selected.
So, who is Jamison-Travis and why did the Giants make him their first pick of Round 6 on Saturday? That, of course, being an indication that when their turn came to pick three times in seven selections Jamison-Thomas was the player they wanted most.
Jamison-Travis, most recently out of Auburn, is a player I had not heard of until the Giants drafted him. I very nearly called him “Jamison-Thomas” in the headline of this article. That is a mistake I am likely to make at some point.
The Giants, though, obviously knew who Jamison-Travis was. They hosted the 6-foot-3⅜, 328-pound fomer JUCO player for a ‘30’ visit, and said they spent “a considerable amount of time” with him.
“We talked about the D-tackle position a little bit last night, and we’re happy to get him in here,” said general manager Joe Schoen. “Big body, long, strong, powerful.”
Jamison-Travis has good size/length with adequate upper-body power but is too often engaged in long-form block battles instead of controlling and defeating the block at the point. He shows first-step and hand-strike quickness, but he’s forced to lean into contact to bolster his base, leaving him unable to move quickly with the design of the play. He can make tackles two gaps away but his rush is unimaginative and in need of openers to get things going.
Jamison-Travis started his career at the junior college level before landing at Auburn in 2023. He is strong at the point of attack, with the ability to anchor and hold ground. He does a good job controlling his gap and also flashes quick hands to slip blocks and penetrate into the backfield. Jamison-Travis stays light on his feet to make some plays in run pursuit, but his strength lies between the tackles.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Jamison-Thomas was “a guy we really liked”.
“We’re a little surprised he was probably still there,” Harbaugh said. “He is a guy we had hoped would still be there.”
Jamison-Travis fits the profile of “bigger players, longer, heavy-handed type guys” Harbaugh said the Giants were searching for.
“We want to be able to handle the offensive lines that we have to play against up front,” Harbaugh said. “Of course, we talked about stopping the run right out of the gates, right? They have to be big and strong to do that. You have to be athletic. You’ve got to be able to move. All those things are part of it too. It’s a big part of it.”
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