Why Bills Trade for Giants Dexter Lawrence Makes Sense for Buffalo

When Dexter Lawrence reportedly requested a trade on Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills were immediately floated as a potential suitor for the New York Giants’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle.

And when you dig deeper, a deal between the Bills and Giants makes a whole lot of sense, particularly for a team such as Buffalo, which is hoping to deliver a significant boost along its defensive front this season.

Need for additional support

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) and Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown (79) shove one another after a play during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Bills will welcome back two second-year DTs in TJ Sanders and Deone Walker, while veteran Ed Oliver also returns after another injury-plagued season in 2025. Beyond that trio, the Bills don’t have much to speak of at the defensive tackle position, where Lawrence would immediately step in and pack a punch from the nose tackle position, both in run support and in his ability to get after opposing quarterbacks.

Pass-rushing prowess

Since the 2022 season, Lawrence leads the NFL with 108 quarterback pressures while aligned at nose tackle, according to Sharp Football Analysis, which is the most in the league during that span by a significant margin. The player with the second-most pressures from such an alignment is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Vita Vea, who has totaled just 32 over that same four-year period.

Buffalo finished the 2025 season with the sixth-fewest QB pressures in the NFL (187), per NFL Pro and Lawrence’s addition would help the Bills’ pass rush boost that number significantly.

Previous relationship

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen introduces John Harbaugh (not pictured) as the next New York Giants head coach at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

As Brandon Beane always says, it takes two sides to complete a trade of such magnitude. With that said, the Bills’ president of football operations/general manager would be dealing with a familiar face during any negotiation, as his former assistant general manager, Joe Schoen, is now the Giants’ general manager.

Perhaps dealing with a friend may help Beane, who is notorious for coming ever so close to completing many blockbuster deals, get this one over the finish line.

The downside

There is a drawback to a potential trade between Buffalo and New York, and that is Lawrence’s future financial compensation. Lawrence has a sizable cap hit for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, while he is also seeking a contract extension from whichever team trades for him.

There are reports that Lawrence will be looking to ink a deal paying him between $27 million and $30M annually. With the Bills’ current salary-cap situation, completing a move for the Giants’ DT would require Buffalo to move some money around elsewhere on its books.

Additionally, a trade package for Lawrence would likely require the Bills to give up at least a first-round pick, which would be somewhat tricky for a team that ranks 27th in draft capital over the next two years, according to NFL IQ.

Take the leap

So, while a potential trade for Lawrence isn't a perfect fit for the Bills, it is well worth taking a chance on a player who would help bolster a unit that was lacking a season ago. It may be difficult to pull off, but Buffalo should think long and hard about moving heaven and earth to acquire Lawrence before the regular season kicks off.

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