What if we told you that the New York Giants, currently stuck with an underwhelming group of interior defensive linemen, had two of the NFL’s very best at the position in the last three years? Is that a story you might be interested in?
Then listen up, because it happened.
Just ahead of the November 10 NFL trade deadline, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski called the Giants out for the “Biggest Trade Deadline Mistake” of the last decade: sending defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks in 2023.
The Seahawks gave up their 2024 2nd- and 5th-round picks for Williams, who anchored their Super Bowl-winning defense in 2025.
“Williams’ performance with the Seattle Seahawks made the Giants‘ decision much harder to swallow … in retrospect, the Giants didn’t get enough in return for Williams, who has been dominant with the Seahawks,” Sobleski wrote. “Granted, landing second- and fifth-round picks for an expiring contract is usually viewed as an excellent return. In this case, it wasn’t. Williams has since been named to two Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro. He won a Super Bowl in 2025 as Seattle’s best defensive player. Eventually, the Giants also chose to trade Dexter Lawrence. Can anyone guess what position New York will need to address next offseason because it’s currently considered a weakness? The defensive interior.”
Leonard Williams: Utterly Dominant and Fearsome
Few defenders in the NFL inspire as much fear in opponents as Williams, 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, who was doomed to spend the first decade of his career on New York’s two miserable NFL franchises after the Jets drafted him No. 6 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Consider this — before Seattle’s run to the Super Bowl in 2025, Williams had played in just 2 playoff games total in his first 10 NFL seasons.
Giants Traded Lawrence Before 2026 Season
The Giants thought it would be a good idea to trade a second generational defensive line talent before the 2026 season, sending Lawrence to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
After signing a 1-year, $28 million contract extension with the Bengals, Lawrence was the star of Cincinnati’s training camp and has single-handedly brought the defense the gravitas it’s been missing for the last few years.
“(Lawrence) has been the best player in camp,” Locked on Bengals podcast host Joe Goldberry said on August 10 “He has been absolutely DESTROYING them. … He really looks like he’s back to the 2022/2023 dominant player.”
Giants Called Out After NFL’s ‘Biggest Trade Deadline Mistake’