Giants Eye Former Lions DT D.J. Reader After Losing Dexter Lawrence to Bengals
New York looking to bolster defensive line after disastrous 4-13 2025 season, reportedly planning to sign veteran after draft to protect comp pick formula
Quick Look
- The New York Giants are reportedly expected to sign veteran defensive tackle D.J.
- Reader after the NFL draft, per NY Post.
- The Giants initially wanted to pair Reader with Dexter Lawrence, but Lawrence was traded to the Bengals this weekend.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The New York Giants are coming off a disastrous 2025 season where they went 4-13. They recently lost star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence in a trade to the Cincinnati Bengals. The team is looking to rebuild their defensive line and reportedly targeted D.J. Reader before the Lawrence trade happened.
The New York Giants have had a disastrous run on the field in the last two seasons with just 4 wins and 13 losses in the 2025 season. As many remain concerned about the team, it seems the New York Giants are focused on fixing the team's roster, especially after losing their star player, Dexter Lawrence.
New York Giants eye former Detroit Lions' star player, D.J. Reader, after a brutal season on the field amid losing Dexter Lawrence
A few hours ago, Doug Rush of FanSided's recent post on X read as, "The Giants are reportedly expected to sign veteran DT D.J. Reader after the draft, as it will protect the comp pick formula, per @NYPost_Schwartz…"
Doug Rush of FanSided added, "The Giants initially wanted to sign Reader and pair him with Dexter Lawrence, but Lawrence is now on the Bengals following the weekend's trade."
The post continued, "Reader made a visit with the Giants last week, and is now expected to sign with the team once the draft is concluded."
However, the New York Giants have stayed away from confirming the speculations as the defensive lineman, D.J. Reader, has also remained silent about the trade rumor.
The former Detroit Lions' star player, D.J. Reader, has slightly dipped in performance since the 2024 season. Last season, D.J. Reader was relatively healthy and did not sustain any injuries but he failed to perform well on the field even though he had broken records in 2024. The former Detroit Lions' defensive lineman recorded 28 total tackles and 4 quarterback hits in 17 games.
Back in 2024, as he recovered from a brutal quadriceps injury, D.J. Reader started 15 games as he finished the season with roughly 23-28 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 8 quarterback hits.
While D.J. Reader's performance has slightly dipped since 2024, many remain concerned about whether he would be an impactful addition to the New York Giants. With his $27.25 million contract with the Detroit Lions ending, all eyes are on where D.J. Reader ends up next as many are expecting him to bounce back on the field after an average run on the field in the last season.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
D.J. Reader will sign with the New York Giants after the 2026 NFL Draft
Likely · Within weeks
Reader will compete for starting position on Giants defensive line
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will D.J. Reader actually sign with the Giants?
- How much will Reader's contract be worth?
- Can Reader return to his pre-2024 form?
- How will the Giants' defensive line perform in 2026?