Dexter Lawrence Trade Requests: 3 Best Landing Spots for the Giants Star

Reports on Monday indicated that star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade, sending shockwaves through theNew York Giants fanbase.

Lawrence and the Giants signed a 2024 extension worth $90M over four years. His guaranteed money has since been paid out, leaving Lawrence to not only seek further financial security but also raise his average per year so he ends up back in the top 10 among interior defensive linemen.

A new contract for Lawrence would arguably help the Giants' cap space this year, as it would potentially lower his $26.958 million cap hit.

Instead, the two sides appear to have reached an impasse with Lawrence’s frustrations having boiled over to the point of his deciding to skip the offseason program and request a trade,

The Giants, of course, are not obligated to comply with Lawrence’s request, especially if the trade value isn’t right. But having an unhappy star player in the locker room is probably not what they want to start off the John Harbaugh era.

So what should the Giants do? Well, if they were to execute a trade, figure that the conversation starts if the offer is similar to what the Jets got for Quinnen Williams at the deadline from Dallas: a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, plus defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

The Giants, however, shouldn’t necessarily worry about acquiring another defensive lineman to replace Lawrence, but rather focus on adding draft capital. And here are three teams that could make sense to swing a deal.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have the least cap space right now, with just $243,078, so they’d be hard-pressed to add Lawrence to their roster. And yet, despite their cap situation, the Bears were actively trying to trade for Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason.

With the way the Bears have structured their contracts, they can clear plenty of cap space through restructures, but they only do so when needed. Also, a trade with the Bears could yield a first-round pick since pick 25 is later in the round.

The Bears traded away veteran wide receiver DJ Moore this offseason and got a second-round pick from the Buffalo Bills in return, meaning that the team now has two second-round picks.

Obviously, the Giants wouldn’t get all of these picks in return, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to get pick 25 or potentially both of the second-round picks, since they’re both late in the round (picks 57 and 60).

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars lack a 2026 first-round pick after trading up for Travis Hunter last year. They have a second-round pick and three third-round picks this year. If the Giants prefer quantity, Jacksonville is a strong option for draft capital.

Jacksonville is one of the few teams where including a player in the deal would work. Options include receiver or defensive lineman Arik Armstead, who has a year left and could temporarily help the defensive line, even if he is more of a three-technique than a nose tackle.

After a 13-4 season in 2025, with the in-division Colts, Titans, and Texans all still figuring things out, this would be the perfect time for the Jaguars to make a move to solidify themselves atop the division.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Chiefs will also be dealing with Patrick Mahomes potentially missing significant time, and the Bills in year one of a new head coach; the AFC is wide open for a team to take over.

Tennessee Titans

Speaking of the Titans, their new offensive coordinator is Brian Daboll, who previously served as the Giants' head coach.

Notably, Brian Daboll has worked with current Titans head coach Robert Saleh, but there is no specific Harbaugh connection involved in this coaching arrangement.

The Titans also currently have the most cap space in the NFL and nine draft picks later this month.

The Giants likely can’t get the Titans’ first-round pick (No. 4 overall), but pick 35 is early in the second round, which could help them trade back into the bottom of the first round if they wanted to.

Tennessee has frequently signed players familiar with Daboll and Saleh. If Daboll’s relationship holds, Lawrence could be an option for the Titans, who have plenty of capital to make this work.

Pairing Lawrence with Jeffery Simmons on the interior would immediately give the Titans one of the best interior defensive lines in the NFL. It would also give Saleh a solid starting point for his defense.

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