The Giants are looking for help at defensive tackle after trading Dexter Lawrence, and Joe Schoen said the team has been talking to agents for several veteran options, with more visits possibly coming next week. The general manager said signing one is “certainly on our radar.”
New York waited until the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to take Auburn's Bobby Jamison-Travis at Pick 186, a much later move than the team had expected after moving Lawrence. The Houston Texans had already leap-frogged the Giants for Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, leaving New York to keep searching after the draft ended.
Schoen said, “We've been in contact with several agents of veteran defensive tackles,” and added, “We'll continue to keep those communications open.” He also said, “We'll see what happens next week, maybe have more visits next week with some vet guys. (Signing one is) certainly on our radar.”
That matters because the Giants had already hosted D.J. Reader for a visit a few weeks earlier, but nothing materialized then. Reader, 31, remains the top available free agent at defensive tackle and would immediately step in as New York's starting nose tackle, easing the burden on Darius Alexander, Sam Roberts and Roy-Robertson Harris.
The position is the one the Giants were expected to address early once Dexter Lawrence was traded, but the draft did not unfold that way. A veteran signing after the draft would also avoid counting against the league's 2027 compensatory pick formula, which gives New York a clean path to add help now. Christian Wilkins is another name still on the market, though he comes with red flags after taking the year off.
For now, the Giants have one more track to run down: a veteran fix that can stabilize the middle of the defense before the season gets any closer.
