Giants Claim DT Zacch Pickens Off Waivers to Fuel Defensive Line Overhaul

Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh continue their aggressive defensive rebuild by snagging former third-round pick Zacch Pickens from the Chiefs.

Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Zacch Pickens | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

If you thought the New York Giants were done adding to their defensive line, you thought wrong.

Big Blue was awarded defensive lineman Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday.

Pickens, 6-foot-4 and 291 pounds, was originally a third-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2023 draft out of the University of South Carolina.

The three-year veteran spent his first two pro seasons in Chicago, appearing in all 17 games as a rookie before seeing his appearances drop to nine games in his second season. Last year, he appeared in three games with the Chiefs.

Over his career, Pickens has appeared in 29 games with three starts and has 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks,  and one pass breakup.

Pickens is the fifth defensive lineman since the draft, joining rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis, a sixth-round pick, and veterans Shelby Harris, Leki Fotu, and DJ Reader.

Earlier this offseason, New York also signed veteran Sam Roberts during the start of free agency, bringing the total number of defensive linemen added to the roster to six.

And they might not be done yet, depending on how rookie camp unfolds this weekend, as they signed undrafted rookie free agents Ben Barten out of Wisconsin and Anquin Barnes out of Colorado, and have invited Felix Lepper, who was part of the league’s International Pathway Program (IPP), to as a tryout.

Earlier this year, the Giants lost DJ Davidson to Washington, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches to Tampa Bay in free agency, though the Giatns were not believed to have had interest in retaining either player.

The big move made ont he defensive line was their trading away unhappy star player Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals, a move made prior to the draft.

The Giants' defensive line has been a weak spot on the team for the past few seasons, particularly in run defense, which has been a top priority of general manager Joe Schoen’s and new head coach John Harbaugh’s this offseason.

Pickens spent four seasons for the Gamecocks, appearing in 47 games and registering 131 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and four pass breakups.  He was named the Most Outstanding Senior by the school in 2022 and was named the Joe Morrison Award winner, given to the team’s defensive MVP.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.