Giants Solve Massive Defensive Line Hole With DJ Reader Signing

The New York Giants have found their replacement for Dexter Lawrence, landing veteran defensive tackle DJ Reader to anchor a retooled defensive line.

Reader, who was one of the more attractive veteran free-agents left on the market, had stayed in contact with the Giants after first visiting with them a couple of weeks ago. His new deal is for two years and $12.5 million with an opportunity to grow his earnings through incentives.

Lawrence, the Giants' first-round pick in 2019, was said to have become disenchanted with the direction the team had taken in recent years.

He reportedly refused to engage in any further negotiations regarding his contract, a claim that seemed to be confirmed by the new deal he signed with the Bengals after his contract extension.

Reader, who is projected to be the starting nose tackle for Big Blue, began his NFL career as a fifth-round draft pick by the Houston Texans out of Clemson in 2016.

He played four seasons for the Texans before moving on to the Bengals, with whom he was for four seasons (2020-2023). Reader was with the Lions for two seasons.

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound Reader has appeared in 137 regular-season games with 128 stats over his 10-year career. He has 328 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 56 quarterback hits, 12.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups.

Reader posted a career-high 3.0 sacks during the 2024 season as a member of the Lions. His best overall season, though, may have been the 2019 campaign when he registered 52 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks in 15 games for the Texans as their nose tackle.

Besides being a force against the run–he has 213 career stops according to PFF–Reader is a classic space eater who regularly draws double-team blocks but handles them with ease in his attempt to create disruption in the backfield. A durable starter, Reader also pushes the pocket to open up lanes for the linebackers to penetrate.

Reader is a two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, in 2019 with the Texans and 2025 with the Lions. He supports the National Kidney Foundation in honor of his father, David, who died from kidney failure in June 2014.

Reader joins veterans Sam Roberts, Shelby Harris, and Leki Fotu, all of whom were signed for defensive line depth, and rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis, one of the Giants’ three sixth-round picks in last month’s draft, as among the newcomers to the defensive line room.

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