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Many fans of the New York Giants were panicking after the team traded their best defensive player, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, last month before the 2026 NFL draft. The Giants wanted Lawrence back, but he didn't want to come back. Not for the money he was scheduled to be paid, anyway.
So, after much back-and-forth that went nowhere, they dealt him to the highest bidder, which turned out to be the Cincinnati Bengals, who surprisingly relinquished their 2026 first-round pick -- No. 10 overall -- in the trade.
The sticky wicket was that the Giants were already the league's worst run defense with Lawrence; what were they going to do without him?
Worry not. These are not your father's Giants. The new management structure allows the front office to address personnel issues in unison, and a full-court press was on to solve the problem.
And they may have just done it.
This past week, they added several capable interior linemen who specialize in stopping the run.
Throw in the fact that the Giants selected the top offensive lineman in the draft, Miami's Francis Mauigoa, and we could be looking at a case of "Dexter who?" here this summer.
The Giants used the capital left in Lawrence's wake very wisely. Mauigoa could end up being the monster they've needed on the offensive front for years, now. And the defensive line is loaded with options for their rotation this season.
Let's not forget the fact that Lawrence is coming off a down season due to an elbow injury that dogged him for the better part of two seasons. Who's to say it wouldn't have flared up again this year?
Plus, he no longer wanted to be here. With John Harbaugh and his regimented ways now in charge, you can see how an eight-year veteran such as Lawrence pushed his way out the door.
In the end, the math favors the Giants in the deal. The old Giants wouldn't have pulled this off.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Have New York Giants done enough to replace Dexter Lawrence?
Continue reading...
So, after much back-and-forth that went nowhere, they dealt him to the highest bidder, which turned out to be the Cincinnati Bengals, who surprisingly relinquished their 2026 first-round pick -- No. 10 overall -- in the trade.
The sticky wicket was that the Giants were already the league's worst run defense with Lawrence; what were they going to do without him?
Worry not. These are not your father's Giants. The new management structure allows the front office to address personnel issues in unison, and a full-court press was on to solve the problem.
And they may have just done it.
This past week, they added several capable interior linemen who specialize in stopping the run.
Throw in the fact that the Giants selected the top offensive lineman in the draft, Miami's Francis Mauigoa, and we could be looking at a case of "Dexter who?" here this summer.
The Giants used the capital left in Lawrence's wake very wisely. Mauigoa could end up being the monster they've needed on the offensive front for years, now. And the defensive line is loaded with options for their rotation this season.
Let's not forget the fact that Lawrence is coming off a down season due to an elbow injury that dogged him for the better part of two seasons. Who's to say it wouldn't have flared up again this year?
Plus, he no longer wanted to be here. With John Harbaugh and his regimented ways now in charge, you can see how an eight-year veteran such as Lawrence pushed his way out the door.
In the end, the math favors the Giants in the deal. The old Giants wouldn't have pulled this off.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Have New York Giants done enough to replace Dexter Lawrence?
Continue reading...
