Giants have signed a replacement for Dexter Lawrence

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Giants have signed a replacement for Dexter Lawrence

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated May 5, 2026 3:42 PM ET

The New York Giants are bringing in reinforcements on their defensive line after trading Dexter Lawrence prior to the NFL Draft.

The Giants agreed to a two-year contract with defensive tackle DJ Reader on Tuesday. Reader will make $12.5 million, with the opportunity to earn more through incentives.

Sources: The #Giants and DJ Reader agreed to a 2-year, $12.5M deal with the potential to earn more via incentives.

A big get for NYG. https://t.co/vQBN3Ixgii
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 5, 2026

The Giants were in desperate need of interior line help and went out and got the best remaining player on the market. The 31-year-old had his best years with the Cincinnati Bengals but spent last season with the Detroit Lions, where he played in all 17 games. He had 28 total tackles and four quarterback hits for Detroit.

Reader has big shoes to fill, as he is part of the group that will replace Lawrence after he was dealt to the Cincinnati Bengals during a contract dispute. Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowl selection with 30.5 career sacks, so it goes without saying that the Giants simply will not be able to replace him with one player. Reader is one of the better options they could get at this point in the offseason.

Reader figures to get a chance to start up front along with veteran Shelby Harris, another free agent addition the team added last week.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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