After trading away Dexter Lawrence, the New York Giants have a new weakness on their hands.
Defensive tackle wasn’t necessarily a strength before the deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, but it’s an even bigger hole now.
Currently on the roster, they have some rotational pieces, but no surefire starters.
2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander recorded 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in 16 games throughout his rookie season, and showed some promise.
Ninth-year veteran Roy Robertson-Harris is nice veteran depth, but his play left a bit to be desired.
They did make one addition, bringing former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Sam Roberts on a one-year deal. But similar to the others, he’s not exactly starter material.
New York has to make a meaningful addition to the interior of their defensive line at some point, and even one of their best players knows it.
Brian Burns Wants Giants to Add Veteran DT
All-Pro edge rusher Brian Burns recognizes the massive hole at the teeth of the New York Giants defense, and said in an interview with NFL insider Josina Anderson that he would like to see the team make a veteran addition to their defensive tackle room.
“I would like to see a veteran. Somebody who has done it before, somebody who has been in the paint,” Burns told Anderson.
“We’re not really in the position where we need to mold a bunch of young d-tackles, a veteran presence would be great in the middle of our defense, for sure.”
Luckily for Burns and the Giants fans out there, hoping for the team to make the same move, they’ve already been doing their homework on a few veteran options.
New York has already hosted veteran defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris on free agent visits, and it’s possible one or both could be signed after the draft.
Reader would be the real exciting add. He was Pro Football Focus’s 30th-ranked defensive tackle in football last year, and could play a major part in turning around the Giants‘ poor run defense.
Spotrac projects the former Detroit Lions defensive lineman to receive a two-year $7.7 million contract, something New York could afford.
2026 NFL Draft Defensive Tackle Prospects
Of course, several prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft could pique the New York Giants’ interest.
There isn’t a good enough defensive tackle for New York to target with the No. 5 or No. 10 overall picks, but the sweet spot for the position may be with their second-round pick, at No. 37.
Clemson’s Peter Woods and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald headline the class, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., and have a chance of slipping towards the back of the first round, and possibly into the early second.
The Giants also hosted Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter on a Top 30 pre-draft visit last week, and he has an even better chance to be available at No. 37.
Regardless, even if New York does look to add a defensive tackle in the upcoming draft, a veteran addition would go a long way in maintaining the ready-to-win mentality John Harbaugh instilled when he first arrived as head coach.
They should listen to their star pass rusher and find an experienced option that makes sense for their scheme and price range.
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