The New York Giants' defensive line room has some of the best talent in the NFL, yet were incredibly disappointing. While some of that can be attributed to former defensive coordinator Shane Bowen being more unqualified than my Madden-playing 11-year-old twin cousins, the run defense was a major sore spot for Big Blue all year.
Only the Bengals surrendered more rushing yards per game than the Giants did in 2025, which is pretty pathetic. Under new DC Dennard Wilson, the priority will be getting the secondary right, but the defensive line is just as important since this pass-rush should be among the best in all of football.
Per Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark is expected to be a cap casualty this offseason. In a more accurate sense, Clark will inevitably be cut because his contract comes with an out and no dead cap, so the Giants' bitter rivals may have just done them a huge favor.
New York desperately needs another experienced interior defensive lineman alongside Dexter Lawrence (who is no guarantee to return), and Clark would be a great get for a team that's expecting to compete from Day 1 under John Harbaugh.
Once the Cowboys cut Kenny Clark, the Giants would be foolish not to pursue him
The 2016 first-round pick was a key part of the return the Cowboys received for Micah Parsons, but they're going through a defensive overhaul of their own. After their defense was historically bad under Matt Eberflus (who saw that coming?), Dallas has a new DC coming to town in Christian Parker.
Not only did they rank dead last in points per game allowed in 2025, but the Cowboys also have the league's highest salary cap, and they need to shed their exorbitant payroll. That could pave the way for the Giants to use the Cowboys' brutal blunder to bring the three-time Pro Bowler to the Big Apple.
Clark is only entering his age-31 season, so he still has good football left in the tank. He had a solid campaign in 2025 with three sacks and 15 pressures, but he's starting to regress due to age. But that means the Giants could sign him for cheaper than expected, especially if his free agent market is dry.
According to Pro Football Focus, the UCLA product's 67.6 PFF grade in 2025 ranked 37th out of 134 qualified defensive tackles, while his 72.4 pass rush grade ranked 21st at the position. However, his 53.7 run defense grade ranked just 72nd as regression is starting to chip away at the elite run stuffer we saw in Green Bay.
With that said, even though the Cowboys will move on from him in favor of other defensive tackles, Clark is still a more than serviceable starter and is someone who could instantly produce and help mentor this young Giants' defensive line on the rise.