Death, taxes, and the New York Giants struggling to stop the run. Big Blue hasn’t finished outside the bottom 10 in run defense since 2020, and that unfortunate trend is rearing its ugly head five games into 2026.
It’s a “new year, same me” situation, and after the Washington Commanders exploded for 202 yards on the ground, it’s clear something’s gotta give. D.J. Reader has been a man on a mission, exceeding expectations and then some with an 85.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade (second out of 133 qualified defensive linemen) and a 77.4 run-defense grade (fifth).
And somehow, that’s still not enough to keep the G-Men from getting gashed on the ground. New York is allowing 127.6 rushing yards per game and 5.19 yards per carry, ranking 25th and 30th in the league, respectively. The numbers are ugly, and the rotation behind Reader is starting to look like a pretty big reason why.
Giants’ defensive line depth is becoming a serious problem
Sunday was a pretty good example of what happens when Reader needs a breather.
Darius Alexander played 32 defensive snaps against Washington, one more than Shelby Harris and two more than Reader. C.J. Okoye had 13. Unfortunately, he and Alexander were both on the field for the Commanders’ first two long touchdown runs of the game, exposing just how much they struggle against the run.
The defensive line depth was a major concern before the season even started, and five weeks in, we’re seeing why in real time.
That’s not to say Alexander and Okoye were the sole culprits for the breakdown on defense, especially with Washington QB Jayden Daniels running around like it was recess. But with Reader and Harris on the sideline for both scores, it’s hard not to question how much New York can trust its defensive line depth right now.
And this is where the Dexter Lawrence trade starts (obnoxiously) creeping back into my head.
Sexy Dexy has been doing Sexy Dexy things in Cincinnati, recording 14 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for loss through his first five games with the Bengals. He even went viral on Sunday for leaping over the pile to stuff Malik Willis on a QB sneak against the Dolphins. His head coach, Zac Taylor, called him a “giant flying squirrel.” Squirrels already give me the heebie-jeebies, so a 340-pound one? No thanks. But I digress.
And before anyone starts digging through my old articles, I’ll save you the trouble. Accountability is important.
After Lawrence put up a goose egg in his Bengals debut, I wrote about how New York might feel validated by sending him away, especially after his disaster-fest of a 2025 season. Five weeks later, he’s making that take look pretty questionable, although as Stripe Hype’s Matt Fitzgerald points out, Cincinnati’s run defense hasn’t exactly been anything to write home about, either.
Of course, Reader has been fantastic, so I’m not about to pretend the Giants completely botched the Lawrence trade. They also got the No. 10 pick out of it, used it on Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa, and found a pretty good replacement for a fraction of the price.
But imagine having Reader and Lawrence together right now -- how insane the run defense could be, deleting rushing yards from existence.
Giants fans have seen this play out before. Big Blue traded Leonard Williams to Seattle in 2023 just as Big Dex was emerging as one of the best defensive linemen in football. Now they’ve moved on from Lawrence, too. For a team that’s struggled to stop the run for years, Big Blue sure has a funny way of getting rid of its best interior defenders.
With Chauncey Golston now on IR, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson needs to figure out how to keep the middle of this defense from falling apart whenever Reader heads to the sideline. Alexander and Okoye are running out of time to put it together, and Harbaugh hasn’t exactly been shy about making roster changes when something isn’t working.
With the Giants sitting at 3-1-1 atop the NFC East, they don’t have much time to waste on experiments and wishful thinking. It’s time to find some help, whether that’s through free agency or a trade.
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