The New York Giants created a massive void on their interior defensive line when they traded Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2026 1st-round pick.
While no one expects the Giants to find a replacement for Lawrence in 2026, what is still expected is massive improvement. What else is expected is that they will become a threat in the NFC East Division right away under new head coach John Harbaugh.
Which is hard to do if you don’t have very good interior defensive linemen, which means the Giants could be prone to try anything — or to sign anyone.
“Titans waived DL C.J. Ravenell off injured reserve on Monday,” Giants reporter Art Stapleton wrote on his official X account. “He played in 15 games last season for DC Dennard Wilson in Tennessee after he was claimed off waivers in Sept from … the Ravens. Giants make sense as a potential add to the room given his versatility up front.”
C.J. Ravenell’s Path to NFL From NCAA Division II
Ravenell, 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, made what’s now a much rarer trek from NCAA Division II to the NFL after becoming a 3-time All-MIAA selection at Missouri Western.
In 4 seasons at Missouri Western spread over 6 years — he redshirted 1 year and sat out another year in 2020 due to the pandemic — Ravenell made 43 starts with 38 TFL and 14.5 sacks.
Ravenell went undrafted in 2024 and spent the season on the Baltimore Ravens‘ practice squad, then played in 14 games with 1 start for the Tennessee Titans in 2025.
Giants Don’t Have Great Plan on Interior DL
The Giants took a huge loss in terms of their interior defensive line before the season started when Roy Robertson-Harris, a 17-game starter in 2025, tore his Achilles tendon
“Giants DL Roy Robertson–Harris tore his Achilles during yesterday’s practice,” Fireside Giants wrote on its official X account on May 22. “Robertson–Harris limped off from yesterday’s practice and testing today confirmed the worst. The 10th-year veteran started all 17 games last season in the first year of a two-year, $9 million contract. The Giants were already thin on the interior of the defensive line, and this only makes matters worse. Prayers up for Roy Robertson-Harris, get well soon.”
Robertson-Harris signed with the Giants on a 2-year, $10 million contract before the 2025 season.
The Giants didn’t make any moves that suggest they are going to be able to make a legitimate play on replacing Lawrence. They signed DJ Reader to a 2-year, $12.5 million free-agent contract in May.
Reader, 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, started 17 games for the Detroit Lions in 2025 and had 28 tackles with 0 sacks and 0 TFL. In 10 NFL seasons, Reader has been a full-time starter for the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Lions.
The Giants didn’t do much to improve their interior defensive line in the NFL draft, either. They drafted Auburn defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis in the 5th round (No. 186 overall), but he’ll be buried on the depth chart to start the season.
“The Giants needed to address the defensive tackle position with a big body who could help them stop the run, especially after trading Dexter Lawrence II to the Bengals last week,” ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan wrote following the draft in April. “New York allowed a woeful 5.3 yards per carry this past season and has been adamant since the start of the offseason that it would add to the defensive interior. Jamison-Travis is a 328-pound space-clogging nose tackle. He’s considered strong at the point of attack. He fits what the Giants were looking for in their new Baltimore-style defense under coordinator Dennard Wilson.”
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