The New York Giants fielded the worst run defense in the NFL in 2025 and responded by trading away their best run defender. With Dexter Lawrence II long gone, general manager Joe Schoen took the "Moneyball" approach, signing multiple veteran free agents in hopes of replacing the former All-Pro in the aggregate.
But that approach relies heavily on those veterans keeping up their historic level of production. 31-year-old D.J. Reader will be at the center of the plan. He's expected to start at nose tackle, lining up between Shelby Harris and Darius Alexander on the interior.
If the Giants are going to put together a competent run defense in 2026, they'll need Reader to return to his prime.
Giants need prime D.J. Reader to fix lingering run defense problem
Reader is already ten years into his NFL career, having already played for the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Detroit Lions. He's been a solid run defender for all three teams, making more of an impact than the stat sheet can show. In 2025, he helped a banged-up Lions unit finish in the top half of the league in run defense.
However, it's been a few years since he's been at the peak of his powers. His play in Cincinnati led Detroit to give him over $13 million per year, a hefty deal for a defensive lineman with little pass-rushing upside. At 31 years old, he's more of a role player than anything, but he can still make a strong impact against the run.
The Giants need that impact more than ever. Last season, they finished last in the league in EPA allowed per rush attempt and 31st in total rushing yards allowed. While the defense struggled to stop the run at all three levels, the defensive line was a consistent problem.
Alexander struggled as a rookie, and Harris will be 35 years old at the start of the season. If the Giants are going to see an improvement against the run on the defensive line, it's going to start with Reader.
There's reason to believe the veteran can make it happen. Interior defensive linemen tend to have more career longevity than players at other positions, and Reader hasn't shown a significant dropoff in play. With a strong linebacker duo behind him, he could help bring the run defense closer to league average. That may be all the Giants need to field a competitive defense in 2026.
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