NFL executives rip Giants over draft decision, trading Dexter Lawrence II to Bengals

In April, the New York Giants traded veteran defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall selection of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Giants then selected Ohio State pass-rusher Arvell Reese at pick No. 5 before the club grabbed Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall choice. 

Recently, Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with multiple team executives who made it clear they don't love some of the moves the Giants made this offseason. 

Will the Giants regret not drafting Sonny Styles over Arvell Reese?

"They should have drafted (Ohio State linebacker) Sonny Styles, because he’s the one that got Reese lined up every day, and I think was better than Reese," one executive said about the Giants. "Reese just disappeared in some of those games. They are talking about playing him off the ball, but if they wanted an off-the-ball linebacker, take Styles. He’d be the leader, the captain, the culture, the play style — everything you want from (Giants head coach) John Harbaugh's guy."

Dane Brugler of The Athletic was among the analysts who ranked Reese as the best overall player in this year's draft class. That said, ESPN's Kevin Clark said in April that he believes Styles will eventually be seen as the best player drafted this spring. 

Did the Giants have to trade Dexter Lawrence II? 

"I just don’t feel like there is much of a plan," a different executive said about the Giants. "Did they replace Dexter Lawrence? You can’t keep on trading your good players. You aren’t gonna replace Dexter Lawrence with the 10th pick in most drafts, let alone this one. And considering the amount of money that Dexter Lawrence signed for (one-year, $28M extension), like, how could you not get that done? What happened?"

Lawrence reportedly wanted to leave the Giants for an advertised contender this offseason. Meanwhile, there's a perception that Harbaugh was fine with trading a player who clearly wasn't all in on the club's latest reset. 

For what it's worth, a fourth executive was a fan of the Giants' moves. 

"They are going to run a lot of exotic fronts where they are positionless chess pieces, so you don’t know who is rushing," that executive said.

Currently, the Giants are on track to have Reese, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter on the roster this fall. Blocking those four could prove to be difficult for even the best offensive lines.