Johnathan Hankins, a Giants Draft Steal in 2013, Calls It a Career After 12 Seasons

The former second-round pick spent four of his best seasons anchoring New York's interior defensive line before stints with four other teams.

New York Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After 12 seasons in the NFL, former New York Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins has officially retired. The 34-year-old defender played for five NFL teams overall, spending time with the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Seattle Seahawks after leaving the Giants.

Hankins played 169 games in his NFL career, 52 of them coming with the Giants. His most recent appearance came with the Seahawks in 2024, when he played in all 17 regular-season games. The veteran defensive tackle missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a back injury and was released by Seattle in December.

He finished his professional football career with 433 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.

His most impactful seasons came with the Giants, who selected him with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Hankins was not a starter in his rookie season, but he started all 16 games of his second year with Big Blue.

In 2014, the hulking defender logged career highs in tackles (51), tackles for loss (8), and sacks (7). He quickly became a fixture on the interior for the Giants and started every game that he played in from 2014 to 2016.

At 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, the defensive tackle was used primarily as a run stuffer on the interior. He was able to take on double teams and fill running lanes, leading to limited space for ball carriers. His impact on clear passing downs was limited, but he often put the Giants' defense in favorable down-and-distance situations.

In 2016, his final season with New York, the Giants ranked third in the NFL with just 3.6 yards per carry allowed.

Hankins then signed with the Indianapolis Colts, earning a three-year, $30 million contract in free agency. He was released after just one year in Indianapolis, before finishing his career with the Raiders, Cowboys, and Seahawks.

His production declined in the last few years of his career, although he did start in eight games for the Seahawks in 2024.

The 34-year-old never received Pro Bowl honors, but he was a consistently impactful defender for multiple NFL teams. While he only played for four years with the Giants, he is still one of the team’s more productive draft selections.

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