The New York Giants can afford to dilly-dally with star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence no more. The time for humming and hawing is over. Big Blue has John freaking Harbaugh as its new head coach, for crying out loud. It's time to level up.
Lawrence was under attack this past season for his lackluster stat production. Giants legend Carl Banks willingly led the charge. And it's true, the 28-year-old posted career lows in tackles (31), quarterback hits (8), and sacks (0.5). The overreaction crowd has already been in full effect, with some even suggesting the G-Men trade him this offseason. But it's times like these when we zig while everyone else zags.
But rather than panicking and folding, Big Blue should double down on its three-time Pro Bowler. With Brian Burns and Abdul Carter on the outside, it's time for general manager Joe Schoen to give Lawrence the perfect sidekick in the interior. And there's no better candidate than former Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who just so happens to be an upcoming free agent this offseason.
Calais Campbell gives the Giants the perfect Dexter Lawrence sidekick
Campbell will turn 40 before the 2026 season kicks off, but that shouldn’t scare Joe Schoen off. The 18-year veteran is still playing high-level football. According to Pro Football Focus, he hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in run defense grade over the past five seasons.
And if you’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of watching Big Blue’s defense the past couple of seasons, you already know the run defense needs all the help it can get. That's where the 6-foot-8, 315-pounder comes into play.
Campbell and Lawrence would instantly form one of the biggest, nastiest interior duos in football. We're talking 655 pounds of USDA Choice beef in the trenches. But the fit goes far beyond fixing a need.
The former Hurricane already knows John Harbaugh’s system after spending three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2020 to 2022, earning one of his six Pro Bowl nods along the way. With Harbaugh now coaching the G-Men, this just feels like one of those moves that almost makes too much sense.
Campbell has somehow been overlooked for most of his career, even with six Pro Bowls, an All-Pro nod, and a spot on the 2010s All-Decade Team. He’s still producing at a high level entering year 19, which says everything about the kind of player he is.
Harby didn’t come to East Rutherford to babysit a rebuild. The Giants need grown-man football in the middle of their defense again. Campbell still plays it that way. Slide him next to Sexy Dexy, and the Dexy somehow gets sexier. This is exactly the kind of rising tide lifts all boats move that would help this defense earn its respect back in a hurry.