As soon as the New York Giants traded Dexter Lawrence, they caught a major break because D.J. Reader was still available in free agency. And they got even luckier when head coach John Harbaugh was able to reel in the biggest fish on the free-agent market pretty shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft concluded.
The Giants managed to sign Reader to a two-year, $12.5 million deal in May, helping to compensate for the loss of arguably the best defensive tackle in football. He's not an All-Pro-level talent, but he's a very solid run stuffer and clearly believed in this team enough to sign with them.
The 32-year-old likely had offers to join teams fans would deem more immediate contenders, but I guess Harbaugh took a few lessons from his younger brother on how to recruit talent. But Reader revealed that Harbs wasn't the only person who influenced his decision to sign with New York: defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson played a role too.
Giants DC Dennard Wilson deserves credit for bringing D.J. Reader to New York
During an episode of the Giants Huddle podcast hosted by John Schmeelk, Reader spoke on what went into his decision to sign with the Giants. And while he did praise Harbaugh, he revealed that the idea of playing for Wilson was intriguing to him after they failed to link up a few years ago.
"Me and Dennard [Wilson] a couple offseasons before... tried to hook up in Tennessee and try to figure things out," Reader said. "So, it ended up working out this time and working its way into fruition."
The veteran defensive tackle told Schmeelk that Wilson tried to sign him with the Tennessee Titans a couple of years ago, but it ultimately never materialized. Presumably, Reader is referring to the 2024 offseason, which was the last time he was a free agent, since it lines up with his new DC's time in Tennessee.
Instead, Reader signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions, where he spent the last two seasons, but as it typically does in the NFL world, things ultimately worked themselves out. Thankfully, it all came full circle, considering he's now set to clog the middle of Wilson's defensive line for a Big Blue squad that needs to improve against the run. And he'll be surrounded by elite talent on the front seven.
Reader credited Wilson for his work with the pass defenses in previous stops with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee. The Clemson product also expressed gratitude about being able to wait until after the 2026 NFL Draft to sign to find the perfect situation for him. It seems like he thinks playing for Dennard Wilson as a member of the Giants will be just that.
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