John Harbaugh’s arrival has brought change to the New York Giants, but one of those moves may have left them with an even bigger issue than the one they started with.
The Giants were already coming off a 4-13 season, so Harbaugh had plenty of reasons to shake up the roster. Still, one area that looked shaky before he got there now appears even more fragile: the defensive line.
That’s the concern Josh Edwards flagged in a CBS Sports feature published Thursday. In his view, the Dexter Lawrence trade didn’t solve anything for New York - it only deepened the problem.
"The defensive line was a need for New York even before the Dexter Lawrence trade," he says in the piece. "The move only exacerbated the issue."
Edwards also noted how the Giants tried to patch things together after the move.
"The Giants signed every veteran available and crossed their fingers Darius Alexander would take the next step in his professional career. The franchise would probably take a flyer on a talented young discarded defensive tackle though."
He also identified defensive line as one of the spots every team should be attacking before the roster deadline. So while Harbaugh and the Giants have already done a solid job surrounding Jaxson Dart with help, and have added a new defensive bullet in Arvell Reese, there’s still a clear need for more size up front.
In other words, the Giants may not be done tinkering yet. If they keep making moves, the defensive line would be the place to watch.
In Other News...
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Okoye spent much of the 2025 season on the Ravens active roster, and the Giants are betting there is more to work with than the usual depth-piece profile. He has flashed enough as a rotational defensive lineman to warrant a closer look, even if his game still comes with clear areas to refine, which makes this a classic low-cost gamble on size, traits and untapped upside. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Nabers Just Put The Giants In A Tough Week 1 Spot
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Head coach John Harbaugh had already left open the possibility that Nabers could be ready for the Dallas Cowboys, which only sharpened the anticipation around his status. For now, though, Nabers is not giving the Giants the certainty they would like, and the next stretch of practices will go a long way toward showing whether he can truly return in time or whether the team will have to wait a little longer for its most important pass catcher. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Practice Squad Decisions Just Clarified Their Week 1 Roster Plan
The Giants filled out part of their early-season depth chart by adding four players to the practice squad, a group that brings a little bit of everything to the back end of the roster. Wide receiver and kick returner Charlie Jones gives the team another option in the return game, cornerback Elijah Jones adds to the secondary, and offensive linemen Kingsley Eguakun and Darian Kinnard bolster the trenches as New York keeps building out insurance behind its Week 1 roster.
The mix says a lot about how the Giants want to cover themselves in the opening weeks, especially with special teams, cornerback depth and offensive line flexibility all accounted for. The full practice squad is now set, and while these moves do not change the headline names on the active roster, they help clarify the teams thinking as it pieces together the first wave of in-season protection against injuries and weekly roster churn. [Read more 🡒]