Not only do the New York Giants have more talent on the defensive side of the football in 2026, they're banking on a return on investment from a competent defensive coordinator. They hired ex-Titans DC Dennard Wilson to be their new play-caller, which is a major upgrade from Shane Bowen.
The defense has already yielded more results in a few months with Wilson than two years with his predecessor, as the new system is set to be a return to basics. But that doesn't mean that the Giants are out of the woods yet, because the unit is still facing question marks in some important areas.
Thankfully, the defensive front looks much-improved, even with the blockbuster trade that sent Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the secondary still has some concerns, and replacing Lawrence is something that'll be much easier said than done for Wilson and John Harbaugh this year.
The Giants' defensive finish will depend on how they're able to replace Dexter Lawrence
The Athletic's Mike Jones went over burning questions every first-year defensive coordinator will face, and asked the same question everyone associated with the Giants has asked this summer: what exactly is New York's plan to replace Sexy Dexy's impact on the interior of their defensive line?
"Wilson inherits two talented edge rushers in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but he has a gaping hole in the middle of his defense following New York’s trading of Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this offseason," Jones wrote. "The Giants surrendered an NFC-worst 145.3 rushing yards per game. So they’re hoping the offseason additions of DJ Reader, Shelby Harris and ascending Darius Alexander can team up to help fortify the heart of their defensive front. But this could be a work in progress."
Jones definitely reheated the same nachos of paranoia for Big Blue, but he has a valid point. When you lose an All-Pro caliber talent like Lawrence, it takes a village to replace him. It's why the Giants had to sign an army of potential DT contributors, most notably D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris in FA.
As Jones mentioned, the G-Men are mostly banking on a Year 2 breakout from Darius Alexander, but they're going to need a return to form from Reader and Harris to plug the middle. And then two of Bobby Jamison-Travis, Leki Fotu, and Zacch Pickens will be tasked with playing rotational roles.
It's still a work in progress, but the DT room may or may not be deeper than it was when they still had Dexter Lawrence. But replacing him is going to be another story, since good defensive tackle play could be the factor that improves the entire front seven, especially the star-studded pass-rush.
The New York Giants' defense will sink or swim with this development. If Reader, Harris, and Alexander are able to replace him, Dennard Wilson's unit will be in for a big year. But if not, the entire defense could suffer.
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