John Harbaugh never wanted the New York Giants to trade Dexter Lawrence, but when he realized the situation was too far gone, he and Joe Schoen had no qualms about sending him to Cincinnati, especially considering the Giants were able to get the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from them.
New York did not use that pick (or any premium draft pick) on a replacement for Sexy Dexy, but their defensive tackle room is much deeper than it's been in a while. They have signed D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris immediately after the draft and are banking on a Year 2 leap from Darius Alexander.
Part of why Big Blue felt so comfortable trading the 28-year-old away is because of their current defensive tackle room, which Harbaugh clearly feels confident in despite losing a franchise cornerstone. And he doubled down on that point while addressing the media some time last week.
“I thought we did a good job of kind of responding to the situation as it unfolded, and now we feel really good about our group in there,” Harbaugh told The Athletic's Dan Duggan. “It looks good to me. I’m excited about it. I think we have the guys we need.”
John Harbaugh and the Giants should not regret trading Dexter Lawrence
Listen, the three-time Pro Bowler is awesome. I would even go as far as to say he's the best defensive tackle in the NFL, even if you can argue otherwise. The Giants' defense will miss him, but given the circumstances, they will be better off without him than if they had retained him.
To recap, in the three-week span since Lawrence was dealt to the Bengals, Harbaugh and company released Elijah Chatman, DeMarvin Leal, and Marlon Tuipolotu, and added the following defensive tackles to the rotation:
- DJ Reader
- Shelby Harris
- Leki Fotu
- Zacch Pickens
- Bobby Jamison-Travis
- Ben Barton
- Anquin Barnes Jr.
It takes more than just a man to replace the Clemson product, and it seems like the Giants took that literally. They still have Alexander, Roy Robertson-Harris, and the recently signed Sam Roberts on the roster, so in a weird way, their defensive tackle room is deeper than it ever was with Lawrence in town.
Reader is not elite by any means, but he's one of the most reliable nose tackles in the NFL. He's an elite run stuffer, and Harris logged a career-high seven sacks in Cleveland in 2025. Fotu, BJT, and Pickens are intriguing depth swings, and UDFAs Barton and Barnes can make waves in training camp.
Harbaugh is well aware that it takes a village to replace a player like Dexter Lawrence, and with the edge room looking elite, it'll be up to some of these guys to fill some big shoes--but the G-Men are confident that at least one of these guys is up to the task.
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