Dexter Lawrence trade named New York Giants' best offseason move

[ASFN Admin]

The New York Giants have made several moves this offseason that have strengthened their roster, but one stands out above the rest.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Giants’ trade of star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft is the best move the franchise has made this offseason.

This is notable even though Lawrence is an established veteran who could contribute more immediately to a Super Bowl run.

Best: Trading Dexter Lawrence II for the 10th pick. Losing a defensive tackle of Lawrence's stature obviously hurts in the short term, but the Giants aren't competing for a Super Bowl this season. Lawrence had been pushing for a new contract over the prior 12 months. His play warranted one after 2024, but he also had three years left on his existing pact. After 2025, when Lawrence was limited by an elbow injury and saw his numbers plummet, the case for extending a tackle who would turn 30 on a new deal wasn't quite as clear.

The fact that the Bengals gave Lawrence only a modest raise as part of the trade makes it clear that this wasn't really about the money for the Giants. Maybe they noticed how the defense played in 2025. The Giants were last in EPA per play against designed runs. You can chalk that up to Lawrence's injury, the cycle of players they went through at linebacker after Micah McFadden went down in the opener, bad tackling and angles at the second and third levels, or all kinds of other factors. But the reality is the Giants were already the worst run defense in the league with Lawrence. How much worse could they be without him?

The Giants used that pick on 20-year-old offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, who should step in at right guard immediately and eventually take over at right tackle, where he played virtually all of his college snaps. Although Lawrence is likely to be the better player in 2026, Mauigoa's salary will be a fraction of Lawrence's over the next four years, allowing the Giants to address other parts of their roster in the seasons to come. Right now, the priority has to be surrounding quarterback Jaxson Dart with a reliable offensive line.

Mauigoa was one of the most heralded offensive linemen in this year’s draft class. The 20-year-old allowed just 2.0 sacks and 10 total pressures in his final season at Miami in 2025 and helped the Hurricanes reach the national championship game.

Although Lawrence is one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL, with two second-team All-Pro selections to his name, the Giants were able to accommodate his trade request and secure significant value in return. Mauigoa has the potential to develop into an elite offensive lineman in the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Dexter Lawrence trade named New York Giants' best offseason move

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