Giants may not be done replacing Dexter Lawrence II despite Shelby Harris news

For weeks, the New York Giants had been expected to sign a veteran defensive tackle after the club traded Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

No like-for-like Lawrence replacement was available in this year's draft class or on the open market. Nevertheless, the Giants addressed the position on Wednesday.

Giants have picked first Dexter Lawrence II replacement

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Giants are expected to sign veteran defensive tackle Shelby Harris to a one-year deal. Most recently, Harris featured for the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season. Across 17 games, he tallied 32 tackles and one sack. 

The Harris move comes less than a week after the Giants chose to not spend a high-value draft pick on a defensive tackle. New York instead took a flier on Auburn's Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of this year's player-selection process. 

Why Giants may not be done signing defensive tackles

The Giants previously welcomed free-agent defensive tackle D.J. Reader for a visit. Shortly before news about Wednesday's signing went public, NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY suggested that the Giants could add both Harris and Reader to their roster. 

"Depth was an issue before New York traded Lawrence," Hughes wrote. "It’s still one now without him."

Hughes also added that the Giants could use some bookkeeping regarding the contract for offensive tackle Andrew Thomas to free up some needed salary-cap space. Cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland could also have money converted to signing bonuses to spread out cap hits. 

The Giants allegedly plan to account for the departure of Lawrence by having pass-rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter (a 2025 first-round draft pick) and Arvell Reese (the No. 5 choice of the 2026 draft) on the roster when the season gets underway in September. New York seems prepared to keep Thibodeaux in a contract year through the summer, so it's possible that he could be sent to a contender for a draft asset ahead of this fall's trade deadline if the Giants lose more than they win through the end of October.