With the Aug. 30 cutdown deadline closing in, the Giants are about to get their shot at the bargain bin - and that could matter most at defensive tackle. Darius Alexander has not looked ready to step into Dexter Lawrence’s role, and New York may need outside help to steady that spot before Week 1 arrives.
The timing is awkward, but roster churn always creates a few chances for teams willing to pounce. For the Giants, the answer may come from another club’s cuts, where three defensive tackles stand out as possible additions.
At the top of that list is Folorunso Fatukasi of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 31-year-old signed with Las Vegas in August as a late camp addition, but he’s now on the bubble.
The Raiders may be reluctant to move on from recent draft picks, which could leave Fatukasi as the odd man out. He’d also bring the most established résumé of the group, with starting experience for the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
He’s a Far Rockaway native, too, so a Giants move would come with a homecoming angle.
DeWayne Carter is another name worth tracking. The Buffalo Bills third-round pick from 2024 is in a crowded spot and could be squeezed off the roster.
His pro career has been slowed by injuries, including a wrist problem that required surgery in his rookie year and a ruptured Achilles tendon last summer. Still, there’s something there.
In 11 healthy career games, Carter has eight total pressures, five hurries and three quarterback hits, showing enough juice as a pass-rusher to make a team think twice.
McKinnley Jackson of the Cincinnati Bengals rounds out the trio. Like Carter, he was a 2024 third-round pick, and he may be the odd man out in a depth chart that includes Cincinnati’s investment in Lawrence, veteran T.J.
Slaton and seventh-round rookie Landon Robinson. Jackson even asked out of Cincinnati last season, though that request was never granted.
At 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds, he has the size and burst to grow into a run-stopping force, which is exactly the kind of help the Giants could use after allowing 5.3 yards per carry in 2025 and 145.3 rushing yards per game, the second-worst mark in the league.
New York doesn’t have the luxury of being picky. But if the Giants are serious about giving Alexander competition - and covering for a defensive tackle room that still looks unfinished - these three names deserve close attention as the cuts start rolling in.
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 🡒]