Even though the New York Giants have made it clear that they have no desire to trade Dexter Lawrence this offseason, it hasn't stopped people from pitching scenarios where they do. Kayvon Thibodeaux is far more likely to be dealt, even if his trade market hasn't blossomed as anticipated.
However, the easy outcome didn't deter Pro Football Focus' John Kosko. While labeling the most valuable trade asset for all 32 teams prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, Kosko named Lawrence for the Giants, even though hell has a better chance of freezing over before he is traded this offseason.
In all likelihood, the Giants would be able to land a first-round pick for Sexy Dexy, which would be beneficial if this team were trying to rebuild. They intend to immediately compete, which is why they hired John Harbaugh in the first place, and Harbs isn't going to just deal the best player on the team.
The Giants would be going against John Harbaugh's team-building strategy by trading Dexter Lawrence
Even though they didn't perform as such in 2025, the pass rush is the crowning feature for this Giants' team. Part of why the tandem of Brian Burns and Abdul Carter is so dangerous is that they have the three-time Pro Bowler clogging the middle for them, meaning that no one can be double-teamed.
Lawrence is the heartbeat of this Big Blue defense, and has been since the team drafted him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the first-round pick they got from Cleveland in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, so even though he wasn't his 2024 self in 2025, he still isn't going anywhere.
He logged a career-best nine sacks and eight tackles for loss in just 12 games in 2024. The 28-year-old was so good to the point where if he was healthy, he would've been a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, but in 2025 took a big step back with 0.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in 17 games.
Trading him is one thing, but trading him in the wake of a down year is a whole different story. I know I said he's still worth a first-round pick because he's one of the best pass-rushing DTs in the NFL, but that may not even be worth the cost of parting with the most impactful player on the Giants' roster, especially when they can bring in help for him.
Even while his numbers were down, the Clemson product has still got it. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence's 75.9 PFF grade ranked ninth among all defensive tackles, while his 84.5 pass rush grade ranked seventh out of 134 qualified DL. That's not a player whose best days are behind him.