They’ll no longer have Dexter Lawrence II at the heart of their front seven, but the New York Giants already know who they will select with the 10th-overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft they received for trading the All-Pro nose tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lawrence was officially dealt to the AFC North late on Saturday, April 18, and it wasn’t long before more than one insider revealed the Giants‘ post-trade plans. Those plans involve adding a “perimeter weapon” to a changing supporting cast around second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Trading Lawrence means the Giants “now own 1/5 of the top-10 picks in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft,” per The Ringer’s Todd McShay. He believes “This gets (head coach John) Harbaugh his defensive captain and chess piece (LB Styles is what I’m hearing but don’t rule out DS Downs) —And it gets Dart the perimeter weapon he needs opposite Nabers. I’m hearing Jordyn Tyson is there guy!”
The idea the Giants will use the 10th pick acquired for Lawrence to take Tyson has credence thanks to the team’s recent interactions with the former Arizona State wide receiver.
Giants Zeroing in on Jordyn Tyson
Those interactions were led by general manager Joe Schoen, who “flew to Arizona to attend Jordan Tyson’s workout yesterday. Schoen also had dinner with Tyson the night before, sources told me and @RapSheet. With NYG at 10 after the Dexter Lawrence, Tyson’s odds of being a top 10 pick have now increased significantly,” according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The Giants aren’t being coy about their interest in Tyson. Not after having dispatched a large contingent to the player’s recent personal workout.
Tyson qualifies as a fix for the Giants’ lack of a complement for star wideout Malik Nabers. The latter is still recovering from surgery to fix a torn ACL, but Nabers will remain the go-to target for Dart once he’s healthy enough to return to the practice field.
What Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy need is another playmaker who can draw coverage away from Nabers. Tyson possesses the raw athletic upside for the role, but his own lengthy injury history has already prompted a warning from an NFL great.
Hamstring and knee problems blighted Tyson’s collegiate career, but nobody is in doubt about his ability to take the top off a defense and stretch the field in an instant. Perhaps his best skill is a knack for beating man coverage.
This talent is summed up by the way Tyson ran “3.02 yards/route vs man coverage… …and earned a target on 44% of his routes vs man coverage,” per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis.
Using a top-10 pick on a player with Tyson’s injury woes would be a major gamble from Schoen and Harbaugh. Yet, ignoring the 21-year-old’s obvious potential could be a bigger risk than the one the Giants took by parting ways with Lawrence.
Dexter Lawrence Trade Leaves Rebuilding Defense Vulnerable
Lawrence wasn’t at his best in 2025, but he remains arguably the most dominant and active interior pass-rusher in the league. His absence will be felt by a Giants defense rebuilding under new coordinator Dennard Wilson, who must now find more creative ways to manufacture pressure.
Wilson can still rely on edge-rushers Brian Burns and Abdul Carter to make life uncomfortable for quarterbacks. What’s less certain is how effectively veteran Roy Robertson-Harris and last year’s third-round draft pick Darius Alexander can replace the heat Lawrence generated from the middle.
Alexander offers intriguing versatility, but he must increase his production after tallying just 3.5 sacks as a rookie. Lawrence is a tough act to follow, so the Giants will need a collective approach and effort to adequately replace him.
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