The New York Giants have struggled to defend the run for years now. Earlier than Shane Bowen was fired as defensive coordinator late within the season, the 2025 Giants had been the worst run-defending crew within the NFL.
The necessity for strong run protection is a core perception for brand spanking new head coach John Harbaugh.
“It’s a must thing. I can tell you that,” Harbaugh mentioned on the NFL Mix. “There’s a lot to it. There’s three levels and layers to your defense. And all three layers and levels have got to be committed to and incorporated in stopping the run, no doubt.
I mean, every single one of the 11 guys has got to be committed to stopping the run. You can’t let people run all over you. There’s no doubt about it. It’s been important. It’s been important. It’s been important in football since football started.“
The Giants will try to do so with a completely rebuilt defensive line. Dexter Lawrence was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Rakeem Nunez-Roches and D.J. Davidson were not re-signed. Elijah Chatman was waived. Roy Robertson-Harris tore an Achilles tendon this spring.
Second-year player Darius Alexander and veteran Chauncey Golston are the only players left from 2025 who might be part of the defensive line group. Did the Giants do enough to supplement the line? We will begin to find out in training camp.
Below is a look at the new Giants competing to earn spots along the defensive line.
How acquired: Signed as a free agent (April 29)Experience: 6Age: 28Draft status: Fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2020Teams played for: Cardinals, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans
Fotu played four seasons for the Cardinals. He spent the last two years bouncing from the Jets to the Raiders to the Texans. Fotu, 6-foot-5, 317 pounds, has played in 66 regular-season games, with 26 starts.
Fotu has never played more than 45% of his team’s defensive snaps. In 2024, he played just 46 defensive snaps for the Jets. Last season, he played 193 snaps for the Raiders and Texans.
When he signed with the Texans late last season, this is what Fotu told reporter Aaron Wilson:
“With my game, with my size and my abilities, I think it speaks for itself. I try to provide that anchor in the run game, obviously, and also contribute my part in the passing game when those moments come. Just doing everything that I can to the best of my abilities.”
In physique kind, Fotu is likely to be the closest factor the Giants need to a alternative for the 6-5, 300-pound Roy Robertson-Harris, who tore an Achilles tendon this spring.
In his six seasons, Fotu has by no means posted a Professional Soccer Focus grade higher than 46.1. In solely two of these seasons has Fotu’s run protection grade even gotten into the 40s. That’s not good.
** Graphic by way of The Each day Norseman
Fotu has typically had grades within the low 70s utilizing the Professional Soccer Sports activities Community Affect Rating, which grades on a 50-100 scale. That scale would put him barely under the midpoint.
Fotu shouldn’t be assured a roster spot. If he makes the crew, he would appear more likely to be a rotational deal with taking part in a handful of snaps per recreation. Greater than that might be problematic, based mostly on his historical past.
How acquired: Signed as a free agent on April 29.Expertise: 11Age: 35Draft standing: Seventh-round choose by the Oakland Raiders in 2014Teams performed for: Raiders, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns
Harris is a stopgap answer for the Giants. He’s 35 and signed a one-year deal. How a lot of an answer the 6-2, 288-pound Harris shall be relies upon upon how a lot he has left.
Harris performed in all 17 video games for the Cleveland Browns final season, spectacular in his eleventh season, with 5 begins. He performed 509 snaps, marking the fourth time in 5 seasons that Harris had performed greater than 500 snaps. Regardless of being solely 288 kilos, Harris has been an above-average run defender all through his profession. Defending the run, after all, is what the Giants signed him to do.
Professional Soccer Focus ranked Harris No. 22 amongst 40 qualifying defensive tackles in run protection final season. Professional Soccer Sports activities Community ranked him No. 25.
How acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Could 5Experience: 3Age: 25Draft standing: Third-round choose by Chicago Bears in 2023Teams performed for: Bears, Chiefs
Pickens has not lived as much as his standing because the sixty fourth participant chosen within the 2023 NFL Draft. He has performed in simply 29 video games with three begins. He performed solely 59 defensive snaps in three video games for the Chiefs final season.
In his prospect profile, BBV’s Chris Pflum mentioned of Pickens that he “projects as an important rotational defensive tackle with starting potential in the right situation.”
In studying via quite a lot of posts after Pickens was let go by each the Bears and Chiefs, nobody in both metropolis appeared to contemplate these groups transferring on from Pickens to be a terrific loss.
Can he discover his footing and be productive with the Giants?
How acquired: Claimed on waivers from the Tennessee Titans on July 7Experience: 1Age: 26Draft standing: UndraftedTeams performed for: Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans
Questioning why the Giants claimed Ravenell on waivers regardless of all the different strikes they made this offseason at defensive deal with? Look no additional than the 2 groups he was with final season. Ravenell spent the 2024 season on Baltimore’s apply squad. The Ravens signed Ravenell to a futures contract for 2025, and he was there via the preseason. When the Baltimore Ravens lower him, the Tennessee Titans, with Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator, claimed him. So, the teaching workers connection to Ravenell is obvious.
The 6-5, 300-pound Ravenell was lively for 14 video games final season, however performed solely 97 defensive snaps and 20 particular groups snaps.
It’s onerous to venture the place Ravenell may match, particularly since he was claimed after spring practices. Wilson and head coach John Harbaugh are intrigued sufficient by him, although, to present Ravenell a chance.
How acquired: Signed as a free agent on Could 5Experience: 10Age: 32Draft standing: Fifth-round choose by the Houston Texans in 2015Teams performed for: Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions
The 6-3, 330-pound 32-year-old was the massive fish amongst all the defensive linemen the Giants acquired this offseason. After dropping Lawrence, Reader was probably the most completed nostril deal with left on the free-agent market and a participant the Giants wanted to reel in. They did so with a two-year, $12.5 million contract that included $5.25 million assured.
Reader won’t generate the move strain that Lawrence did. Not shut.
Reader has been top-of-the-line run-defending nostril tackles all through his profession. Reader is used to dealing with double groups. In 2025, he was the most-often double-team defensive deal with within the NFL at 71.7%, greater than Dexter Lawrence (71.3%).
“I think it’s something that kind of comes with the territory, the position. You kind of just got to know it is what it is. It’s smart,” Reader mentioned. “I’m the guy closest to the center and the guard. So I’d probably double-team me, too … I think I’ve always done a good job of just kind of taking that in stride, knowing that it’s important for those guys who really play pass-rush and they do this on the daily. These are the guys that are going out there and getting pressure up the middle so the quarterback can really roll to them.
“I’ve always had good edges. I think my edges usually have good seasons when they play with me.”
Reader’s 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Lions had been lower than the requirements he set earlier in his profession. The Giants have to hope that downward slide doesn’t proceed. They don’t have anybody else with the confirmed potential to deal with the snaps Reader has performed all through his profession.
How acquired: Signed as free agent on March 23.Expertise: 4Age: 28Draft standing: Sixth spherical choose by New England Patriots in 2022Teams performed for: Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons
Because the Giants enter coaching camp, Roberts is a thriller. He was by no means seen throughout spring exercises or necessary minicamp as he recovered from an undisclosed surgical procedure. Roberts completed final on injured reserve for the Atlanta Falcons with an ankle harm.
A former Division II participant at Northwest Missouri State, the place ex-Big Dave Tollefson performed his faculty ball, Roberts was the primary veteran defensive lineman signed by the Giants this offseason.
He performed in simply 5 video games for Atlanta final season, however it was the most effective stretch of the 6-5, 300-pounder’s profession. He had 18 tackles after accumulating simply eight over his first three seasons, and added the one sack of his NFL profession. He performed quite a lot of spots throughout the road for the Falcons final season.
Roberts’ 83.0 Professional Soccer Focus grade was by far the most effective of his profession. He performed 102 defensive snaps, a career-high.
The Giants are clearly hoping that 2025 confirmed that Roberts, with solely 20 video games of expertise in 4 seasons, is an ascending participant who can deal with an even bigger function than he has had prior to now.
How acquired: Signed as free agent on Could 27Experience: 8Age: 32Draft standing: UndraftedTeams performed for: Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens
Tupou is a large 6-3, 350-pound nostril deal with. He spent six seasons with the Bengals, sitting out the 2020 COVID season. From 2019-2023 he was a daily a part of the Bengals’ defensive position rotation, taking part in from 287 snaps to 467 snaps.
Tupou spent the final two seasons on the Ravens’ apply squad, showing in simply six video games. Tupou has 23 begins in 71 profession regular-season video games.
Tupou may compete for a task because the backup nostril deal with behind Reader. He may find yourself as a rotational piece for the Giants in the event that they deem sixth-round choose Bobby-Jamison Travis not prepared for normal NFL snaps.
How acquired: Drafted in Spherical 6, 186th overallExperience: RookieAge: 25
The Giants waited till Spherical 6 to handle their want at defensive deal with by deciding on Jamison-Travis. The 6-3, 328-pounder may discover a function because the backup nostril deal with. Or, he may find yourself on the apply squad.
Assistant GM Brandon Brown mentioned this when requested why the Giants drafted Jamison-Travis:
“What you have seen in his game is strength in knock-back. In the trenches his hands don’t always work in unison, but that’s coaching,” Brown mentioned. “When you look at BJ watching his tape, when you look at our area scouts, whether it’s (college area scout) Scott Hamel, (national scout) Marcus Cooper, going down and saying, hey, this guy is a little bit off the radar, but he has power in his hands, and he can eat double-teams.
“He doesn’t get moved by side anchor, and he can create knock-back in a way that when we get into our meetings with Harbs and Joe, hey, we want to be thick in the middle. We want to be able to re-establish the line of scrimmage. Create knock-back at the nose. He’s not a pass rusher, but what he can do is eat two blocks, and he can be firm.”
Right here is extra about Jamison-Travis:
NOTE: I didn’t embody info on undrafted free agent defensive tackles Anquin Barnes and Ben Barten.
