The New York Giants have been struggling with their defense for a couple of years now, especially against the run. The defensive line needs an upgrade, for which the Giants have been hitting the free agency. Now, their search has brought them veteran and former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle, DJ Reader.

Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that Reader met with the Giants recently. He’s been making visits, and Baltimore was one of them earlier. Though nothing is signed yet, the interest is there, with the Giants' need in place.

Reader is a prolific veteran, having started all 17 games for Detroit last season and finished with 28 tackles. Overall, he has appeared in 137 games with 128 starts. He has a total of 328 tackles, 12.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. At 6' 3" and 330 pounds, Reader can get after blockers to allow linebackers clean space.

His comeback to Cincinnati looked possible for a while, but the Bengals turned away from it by adding Jonathan Allen from free agency. Moreover, they also have the 10th overall pick in the draft, and can very well use it to get a top tackle to build their defensive line.

But Reader is still one of the better remaining players in the agency, and the Giants might be going big on him. And with how fragile things are right now with Dexter Lawrence, this visit may lead to fans seeing Reader suit up in Giants colors this season.

Can Lawrence Be Replaced By DJ Reader?

Lawrence, currently in the middle of his four-year, $90 million extension, might be headed out of New York. He is seeking a trade, reportedly because the Giants don't seem keen on bumping his average salary per year to the figures that the five highest-paid DLs are making. He has also refrained from attending voluntary workouts.

Regardless of whether or not he is on the roster, the Giants are still looking to build depth in the defensive line. That’s where someone like Reader makes sense.

Veterans Rakeem Nunez-Rochez and DJ Davidson are no longer with the Giants. Even though the team will very likely pull a DL from the 2026 draft, there is a clear need for a veteran like DJ Reader, even with Lawrence in the picture. The rookie DLs will learn a lot with someone like him in the picture.

Do you think DJ Reader is coming to the Giants? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Rudra Dubey

Edited by

Afreen Kabir