The New York Giants don’t get much time to ease into their new-look run defense. On Sunday Night Football, they’ll be staring down a Dallas Cowboys ground game that has already shown it can punish a shaky front.
That’s a pretty brutal first exam for a defensive tackle group that looks very different after the Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati. Lawrence was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, but New York still finished last season with one of the league’s worst run defenses. Only the Cincinnati Bengals allowed more rushing yards per game in 2025.
Now the Giants are trying to rebuild that part of the roster with D.J. Reader at nose tackle, Shelby Harris, Darius Alexander, C.J.
Okoye, sixth-round rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis, and possibly Chauncey Golston. Outside of Reader and maybe Harris, there isn’t much proven production in that room.
That’s why Sunday matters. The Cowboys averaged the 10th-most rushing yards in the NFL in 2025, and a big reason was Javonte Williams’ breakout year. He finished with 1,201 rushing yards, which ranked ninth in the league, along with 11 rushing touchdowns, good for eighth, and a 4.8-yard average per carry.
Williams also already showed what he can do against New York. He missed the Week 18 meeting between the teams, but in their first matchup he handled 18 carries for 97 yards, scored a touchdown, and added six catches on seven targets for 33 yards. He was a problem as the lead back, and the Giants know it.
There is at least one wrinkle that gives New York a shot to make a statement. Dallas will be without star guard Tyler Smith for the next 4-6 weeks after thumb surgery, and that opens a door for the Giants’ interior line to hold up better than it did a year ago.
The biggest swing factor may be Darius Alexander. The breakout talk has been there, and putting him next to veterans like Golston, Reader, and Harris - while also improving the linebacker group - should help both him and the run defense. If Alexander takes a real step in Year 2, the Giants could make the post-Lawrence transition a lot easier to live with.
Nobody’s expecting Sunday to solve every issue in one night. But Williams and the Cowboys will give the Giants an immediate read on whether this rebuilt run defense is actually ready.
In Other News...
Giants' Darius Slayton Decision Suddenly Looks Bigger After Patriots Injury
A.J. Browns Week 1 ankle injury in New England immediately changed the conversation around the Patriots receiver room, with the veteran being diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and X-rays showing no fracture. The timetable is still fuzzy, but the early outlook suggests a potential absence of several weeks, and that kind of uncertainty tends to send teams looking for help wherever they can find it.
For the Giants, that makes the recent decision to move on from Darius Slayton look even more relevant than it did just days ago. Slayton is now a free agent option who could fit a Patriots team suddenly facing thinner depth at the position, and his availability adds another layer to a roster move New York already made. When injuries hit this early, a player with Slaytons experience can quickly go from expendable to a name worth monitoring. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have Found Jaxson Darts Missing Piece Already
The Giants decision to release veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton has already shifted the conversation around the passing game, and it may not just be about clearing snaps for the next man up. With Malik Nabers headlining the group and Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr. also in the mix, the depth chart now leaves room for a younger player to force his way into a real role. That is where rookie Malachi Fields comes in, after turning heads in preseason action and giving the staff a reason to think he can be more than a placeholder.
For Jaxson Dart, that matters. A young quarterback can use all the help he can get, and Fields has at least shown enough to suggest he could become a dependable option as the season unfolds. The Giants do not need him to be the finished product right away, but if his preseason showing carries over, he could end up looking like a much bigger piece of Darts support system than anyone expected when training camp began. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Enter John Harbaughs First Season With One Big Concern
John Harbaughs first season in charge will come with plenty of familiar pressure points for the Giants, but the offensive line may be the clearest one. PFF slots the group 23rd in its 2026 rankings, a placement that reflects a unit with some intrigue but not nearly enough certainty. Andrew Thomas remains the headliner up front, and his play gives New York a real anchor when he is available, even as his injury history keeps the conversation from getting too comfortable.
Gordon McGuinness pointed to the lines promise while making clear it still needs development, which is where rookie Francis Mauigoa enters the picture. If Mauigoa can help speed up the progress, the Giants could at least start to stabilize the offense under Harbaugh, but this is still a group expected to need more time than patience usually allows in New York. Until the protection settles in, everything else the new staff wants to build on offense will have to work around that uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]