Former New York Giants defensive tackle D.J. Davidson is staying in the NFC East, as the Washington Commanders announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed the 2022 fifth-round pick.
Davidson, an Arizona State product, recorded 49 tackles and 2 ½ sacks in four seasons with the Giants. He played in at least 12 games each of the last three years and became a special teams mainstay.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Davidson also worked his way into the defensive line rotation, though he only started in four of his 47 games with the Giants. His 2025 season ended prematurely after suffering a concussion and neck injury in December.
Financial terms of Davidson’s contract were not immediately available. Davidson will likely compete with Shy Tuttle for snaps behind veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne.
What to know about former Giants defensive tackle D.J. Davidson
A three-star high school prospect from Mesa, Ariz., Davidson opted to stay close to home and enroll at Arizona State University. He tallied 15 ½ tackles for a loss and five sacks across four seasons with the Sun Devils, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors as a redshirt senior.
In a pre-draft scouting report, NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein projected that Davidson would be a seventh-round pick and a backup nose tackle. Zierlein praised Davidson’s quickness, though he expressed concerns about Davidson’s weight and vision inside the trenches.
“Davidson is an early-down run defender only, but he can be a handful to get blocked on those downs,” Zierlein wrote. “He plays on a bulky, powerful base that helps absorb double teams with relative success and he has the upper-body strength to beat a single block.”
Davidson’s departure comes after the Giants signed former Panthers defensive lineman Sam Roberts earlier this month. Barring injury, Roberts will provide added interior depth behind Dexter Lawrence. The Giants also own seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including five on Day 3.