Giants land D.J. Reader for interior D-line that lost Dexter Lawrence

Pat Leonard, New York Daily News on May 5, 2026

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — John Harbaugh had to bolster the Giants’ interior defensive line before he traded Dexter Lawrence.

Once the head coach shipped his best player to Cincinnati, New York’s D-line went from being a weakness to a gaping hole.

That explains why Harbaugh continued to add to the line on Tuesday by agreeing to terms with Detroit Lions free agent defensive tackle D.J. Reader.

The 10-year veteran agreed to a two-year, $12.5 million contract that could be worth up to $15.5 million including incentives, per ESPN.

Reader, 31, played in all 17 games for the Lions in his second and final season for Detroit. He spent four years each in Houston and Cincinnati before his brief stint in the Motor City.

One coach said Reader is an early-down player who should be effective for the Giants in a rotation that asks him to play around 15 to 25 snaps per game.

Reader is one of four defensive tackles Harbaugh has added since trading Lawrence to the Bengals on April 19.

The Giants drafted Auburn defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft on April 25. They signed former Browns DT Shelby Harris, 34, and recent journeyman DT Leki Fotu, 27, on April 30. Now they’re tacking on Reader in early May.

The Giants allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry to opposing offenses, so Harbaugh is determined to stop the run. But it will be difficult to improve dramatically in that area after losing Lawrence, who is one of the best players in the NFL at his position.

Reader’s Lions (4.4 yards per carry allowed) tied for 21st in the NFL at stopping the run last season. He was the No. 32 ranked defensive tackle on Pro Football Focus last season among DTs who played at least 20% of the team’s snaps. Harris ranked No. 56 and Fotu came in at No. 128.

Harbaugh at least has demonstrated urgency in trying to make up for the enormous loss of Lawrence from the middle of the Giants’ defense. The question is just how well this patchwork group will be able to prevent the memory of No. 97 from haunting this defense in 2026.