What Would Dexter Lawrence Trade Look Like For Chargers?

It's not every day that a star defensive tackle wants out of his current situation. That's what's happening with Dexter Lawrence and the New York Giants at the moment. Lawrence, one of their former 2019 first-round picks, has blossomed into a dominant nose tackle over the last few years.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Lawrence and the Giants agreed to a four-year, $87.5 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. Since then, the Giants haven't had much success, winning 13 games up to this point. That is certainly part of Lawrence's gripe with the team currently, along with the booming defensive tackle market over the last few offseasons.

The Los Angeles Chargers should be one of the contenders looking to add Lawrence to their defensive front. While it wouldn't come cheap, this is a rare opportunity to add a player who is near the best at his position. Lawrence, 28, would be a force to be reckoned with along the Chargers' defensive line.

Here's what a potential trade for Lawrence would look like.

Chargers should be in on Dexter Lawrence trade

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence — Dexter Lawrence | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

SNY's Connor Hughes surveyed sources around the league about what it would take for the Giants to deal Lawrence. The price is certainly high.

Surveying teams across the NFL on Dexter Lawrence. No consensus on what his value is. It's difficult to determine because, sources told @snytv, because you've seen complete dominance ... then questions in 2025 on work ethic/shape/drop in production.

The need for a new contract,…
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) April 6, 2026

Some of the numbers Hughes heard from sources were: a late 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, or a second and fifth round pick. The Chargers have the No.22 overall pick in this year's draft, which is considered a late-round selection.

While it'd be difficult to part ways with that, Lawrence is better than any player the Chargers would select at No.22. The only problem here is that this regime has been hesitant on handing out large paydays, as was evident in letting Odafe Oweh walk last month.

Lawrence wants an extension, but has 2 years remaining on his current deal. He's slated to have cap hits over $26 million in each of the next 2 seasons. Spotrac has Lawrence's market value at $27.2 million annually, with an extension worth $81,666,126 over three years. That AAV would make him the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind Chris Jones.

The Chargers know how much of a headache it is to face Jones twice per year. If they could add a player of his caliber to their own defense, it could go a long way towards securing playoff wins in the future.