The New York Giants made the bold decision to move on from Dexter Lawrence this offseason. While there aren’t many players who can seamlessly replace the star defensive tackle, the G-Men helped ease the blow by signing D.J. Reader.
Reader linked up with Big Blue on a two-year, $12.5 million deal, fair value for a grizzled nose tackle with a decade of NFL experience. The veteran is entering an age-32 season and has some history of injury, but he’s been healthy for the better part of the past three years and stands to be a pivotal piece in the defensive trenches in 2026.
New York made it a priority to overhaul the front seven to begin the John Harbaugh era. While the team relied heavily on Lawrence for much of its production up front in recent years, Reader will be part of a deeper unit that also added fellow veterans in Shelby Harris and Tremaine Edmunds this offseason.
That depth should help keep Reader fresh and ready to shut down the run, something the Giants desperately need to improve on after ranking in the bottom seven of the league for five consecutive seasons. The big tackle called run defense “the most important” aspect of the game and noted that it takes a team effort to successfully execute:
“That’s the most important part of the game. That’s one of those things I take pride in as a nose guard, especially – it’s part of the game that everybody can get involved in. And that’s what it takes, effort. It’s going to take everybody’s effort to build that wall, force things back inside to your bigger guys, let things roll up top to your corners who can tackle. It’s one of those things that takes effort from everybody, and if you’re bought in, you can stop the run.”
Considering Reader has already pitched in a strong run-stuffing tackle for a loss and a sack during one of Big Blue’s training camp sessions, he’s clearly on his way to having a successful 2026 campaign. If New York fields a quality rush defense for the first time in over a half-decade, Reader will be a big reason for this improvement.