The last time the New York Giants spent a first-round pick on a defensive lineman, it worked out pretty well. That would be Dexter Lawrence, whom the Giants selected with the 17th pick in the 2019 Draft.
Before the contract stalemate and subsequent trade earlier this offseason, Sexy Dexy became a staple of Big Blue's defense. In seven years, the 6-foot-4, 340-pounder was a two-time second-team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler.
Replacing him is not only borderline physically impossible, but metaphorically impossible, too. Which might explain why Big Blue went with the "by-committee" approach this offseason, signing every defensive tackle and their distant cousin's pet parakeet.
But in order to get this defense to where new head coach John Harbaugh wants it to be, they need to upgrade the trenches. Enter Will Echoles, arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the 2027 class, whom New York landed in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft.
Giants could find their next defensive anchor in Will Echoles
Funny enough, the G-Men passed on taking a defensive tackle early in the 2026 Draft -- opting to wait until the sixth round for Bobby Jamison-Travis -- a decision that might come back to bite them in the you-know-what this season.
That leaves New York leaning heavily on short-term fixes in the middle of Harbaugh’s defense. While the current stopgaps provide a temporary fix, they lack the game-wrecking ability that Big Dex brought for the better part of a decade. Echoles offers exactly that.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at 315 pounds, the Ole Miss Rebel has an unteachable blend of size and quickness. In Bleacher Report’s mock, he falls right into Big Blue's lap with the 11th pick, giving New York a true run-stuffing nose tackle who could immediately feast on double teams and clean up their suspect run defense.
As B/R put it:
"Both Reader and Harris are well into their 30s, and Alexander produced an underwhelming rookie season last fall. In other words, a need exists at defensive tackle.
Echoles tops the list. The 6'3", 315-pound defender does have room for growth as a pass-rusher, but the Ole Miss product is the class' best run-defender in the trenches."
Harbs has historically built his championship-caliber teams from the inside out. For his "bigger and stronger than you" philosophy to work in East Rutherford, the G-Men need USDA Choice beef in the middle.
Echoles could be the game-changer Big Blue needs. Analysts will rave about his ability to reset the line of scrimmage and collapse pockets from the inside -- he has a knack for manhandling SEC linemen. While he may never completely erase the memory of Sexy Dexy, Echoles could eventually be the Giants' long-term answer
We’re obviously still a ways away from mock draft SZN, but if the run defense struggles again this season, don’t forget the name Will Echoles.
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