Josh Tupou Faces Long Odds to Make the Giants' Crowded D-Line

The New York Giants added former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Josh Tupou to an extremely large interior defensive line group heading into training camp. The idea seems to be pretty simple: find which guys are going to be able to help improve one of the worst run defenses in the NFL in 2025.

But for Tupou, he's going to need to show more than just an ability to stop the run, because there are guys on this roster who are simply better at it than he is.

While in college at the University of Colorado, he showed signs of life as a pass rusher, collecting five sacks over his final two seasons.

Unfortunately, in the NFL, he has not shown any signs of life. His greatest single-season sack total is two, back in 2022 with the Cincinnati Bengals. He only has one other sack in seven other seasons.

That lack of pass-rush production makes it harder for him to stand out among the other interior defensive linemen on this team, especially the primary run stuffers.

JOSH TUPOU, DL

Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 350 lbs
Exp: 9 Years
School: Colorado
How Acquired: FA-'26

2025 in Review

Tupou joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 and appeared in three games, receiving 61 snaps on defense and one on special teams. In 2025, he did much the same, appearing in three games for the Ravens with no starts, recording 74 defensive snaps and four snaps on special teams.

His most impactful game came in Week 4 against Kansas City, when he played 30 defensive snaps and assisted on three tackles.

In Week 16, he appeared again for the Ravens against the New England Patriots, finishing with one assisted tackle and one solo tackle in 30 defensive snaps.

Over the past two seasons, the 32-year-old has proven he is a professional, ready to step in with little preparation and deliver quality snaps on the line. The production just hasn’t been there, though.

Contract/Cap Info

Tupou signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract to join the Giants after spending the past three seasons with three different teams.

He will have a base salary of $1.3 million and a cap hit of $1.075 million. His contract does not include any guaranteed money, signing bonus, or workout bonus. It also does not include any dead cap money if he does not make the roster.

2026 Preview

There are several factors working against Tupou's chances of making the Giants' final roster in 2026.

Yes, he is familiar with John Harbaugh from his last two seasons in Baltimore, but he is not familiar with this new defensive coordinator, what he may be asked to do, or the role he may be asked to fill here in New York.

Tupou projects as a nose guard on this team, but he has several people in front of him. Notably, D.J. Reader, Leki Fotu, and the rookie six-round pick, Bobby Jamison-Travis.

If the team is considering his veteran experience, they have D.J. Reader and Leki Fotu to lean on, along with a host of other defensive linemen in the fold.

If they're looking for a youth movement, then that works against his ability to make this team as well. Not only is Jamison-Travis there, but undrafted free agents Ben Barten and Anquin Barnes could also be factors moving forward.

And that's before you get to 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander, who really started to show promise towards the end of last season.

Unfortunately, Tupou brings nothing unique to the table. He is a big run stuffer who is going to operate A-gap to A-gap, and they have that in spades.

He lacks the versatility to play as a 4-technique or defensive end, and he does not consistently penetrate or factor into pass-rush situations.

Ultimately, this summer is likely Tupou's audition for another team.

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