The idea of the Giants chasing Gervon Dexter has some surface appeal. He’s young, productive, and available enough that Chicago is at least listening to trade calls. But once you dig into what it would cost - and what kind of player he actually is - the fit starts to look a lot less like a solution and a lot more like a familiar mistake.
The Bears are expected to ask for draft capital in return, and a Day 3 pick in the fourth or fifth round sounds like the kind of price that could move the conversation forward. Dexter is also heading toward a contract extension that should land in the $16-$20 million per year range. That’s a hefty bill for a player who would be stepping into the same problem the Giants already have.
At 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, the 24-year-old brings real pass-rush juice. Last season he put up 6.0 sacks, 38 pressures, and 11 quarterback hits.
But the run defense is where the alarm bells go off. His 44.0 PFF run-defense grade ranked 107th out of 134 eligible linemen, which is not the kind of number that fixes a defense that was already getting pushed around.
And that’s the heart of the issue for New York. The Giants were gashed on the ground last season, surrendering 2,470 rushing yards, the second-most in football.
Chicago wasn’t exactly stout either, finishing sixth-to-last after allowing 2,287 rushing yards. Bringing Dexter in would not erase that reality.
It would just give the Giants another lineman whose profile looks a lot like the one they already have in Darius Alexander.
Alexander’s preseason hasn’t suggested a breakout is around the corner, either. The hope was that he could build off the end of his rookie year and take a leap in Year 2, but through two preseason games he still looks like a player searching for the moment rather than owning it. His 30.3 run-defense grade last year ranked 130th, so Dexter would be an upgrade - just not the kind that solves the deeper issue.
That’s what makes this so tricky. John Harbaugh has made it clear he wants a bigger, more physical team up front.
The Giants need a line that can stop the run, not just flash in passing situations. Dexter gives you more production than Alexander right now, but he also brings the same fatal flaw.
There’s another wrinkle here, too: the Giants signed former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds earlier this offseason, and Edmunds and Dexter were part of that same Chicago defense last year. Sure, there are nine other guys on the field, but that connection doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that East Rutherford would magically produce a different result.
So while the name value is real, the move feels like buying a shinier version of the same headache. The Giants need to fix the run game before Week 1, not trade for another expensive reminder that the problem still hasn’t gone away.
In Other News...
Cam Skattebo's Practice Fire Just Put Giants On Notice
Cam Skattebo keeps showing up as the kind of running back who plays with an edge, and the Giants got another reminder of that during practice. On a non-contact period, Skattebo slid after a catch and came close to the legs of defensive backs Jevon Holland and Greg Newsome, a sequence that quickly turned chippy and brought the defense into the moment. For a team trying to set a tone around its new lead back, the incident fit the profile of a player who brings force and urgency every snap.
Head coach John Harbaugh pointed to Skattebos energy later in the workout, even after the rookie was assessed a 15-yard penalty at the end of practice, and said the challenge is keeping that intensity pointed in the right direction. That balance matters for a Giants offense planning to lean on Skattebo after he rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns in eight games as a rookie before a broken ankle ended his season. If the physical style is part of what makes him special, the Giants will still have to live with the fine line that comes with it. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Receiver Room Just Sent Another Clear Message
The Giants kept churning through the back end of their receiver group this week, with Ryan Miller moving on after being waived and then claimed by the Dolphins the following day. It was a quick turn for a player who had joined New York last December, stuck around by re-signing this offseason, and still found himself squeezed out by a wideout room that has become crowded enough to make even a retained player vulnerable.
Miami had to clear a spot for Miller by waiving Tahj Washington, a reminder that roster movement at the bottom of the depth chart is often a one-for-one game. For the Giants, the episode adds another small piece to the larger picture at receiver, where the numbers game has already made the competition tight and the margin for keeping depth is getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have Their Dexter Lawrence Replacement In Sight
Dexter Lawrences departure to Cincinnati leaves a glaring hole in the middle of the Giants defense, and it is the kind of vacancy that usually sends a front office searching for a long-term fix rather than a quick patch. One early idea has already surfaced: an ESPN mock draft from Jordan Reid projects New York to use the No. 9 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft on Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles, a player whose college production has made him stand out as a name to watch.
It is only a projection at this point, of course, and a lot can change between now and draft season. Still, the fit is easy to understand for a Giants team suddenly needing size, disruption and stability inside after moving on from one of the leagues most imposing tackles, and Echoles strong play gives at least a plausible starting point for that conversation. [Read more 🡒]