The New York Giants have received mixed grades for their approach to the offseason thus far. However, everyone — except themselves — can agree that the club's defensive line needs work.
As the saying typically goes, "no news is good news," though that's not the case with the Giants' situation. They have no choice but to upgrade the inside of their stop unit, or so we thought. Yet, it's been crickets since the start of free agency, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic is understandably struggling to wrap his head around that.
Duggan acknowledged that the Giants entered the new league year with a "high" need for defensive line help and how this astonishingly still holds true:
"It's shocking that the Giants haven't made a single move on the defensive line," Duggan wrote ($). "The run defense has been an Achilles heel and they've done nothing to address that weakness up front."
Giants beat writer addresses the defensive-line sized elephant in the room
No team gave up more yards per attempt than the Giants in 2025 (5.3) and only the Cincinnati Bengals were worse on a per-game basis. Big Blue also finished tied for the third-most rushing touchdowns allowed (21). How does New York see numbers like this and fail to even try bolstering the group up front on the defensive side of the ball?
Not only has New York made zero acquisitions, but there have also been no departures. You'd think they can at least release/trade a player and chalk that up as addition by subtraction. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, the same names that Giants fans watched get walked all over repeatedly last season remains intact.
Perhaps the Giants are betting a bounce-back campaign from star interior lineman Dexter Lawrence with better health. He tries to downplay his elbow issue, but general manager Joe Schoen has openly suggested the injury was a factor. Be that as it may, as dominant as the two-time All-Pro can be, New York should surround him with help in the trenches.
For what it's worth, Duggan notes that there are a "few solid veteran options available" but didn't mention anyone specifically. The Giants can also look to address the position via the 2026 NFL Draft. Either way, they just have to bring someone(s) in.