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New York Giants training camp preview: Life after Dexter Lawrence
The New York Giants will begin a new era starting this week at training camp, their first under new head coach John Harbaugh and his staff.
The Giants have undergone somewhat of a seismic shift over the past two years, personnel-wise, with new faces -- old and young -- in almost every unit. The defensive line is one area drawing significant focus this summer, as the unit will be without its All-Pro nose tackle and leader, Dexter Lawrence, for the first time since he was a first-round pick out of Clemson in 2019.
Lawrence had become disgruntled with the team and the direction it has taken and forced a trade to the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. The Giants received the No. 10 overall selection in this year's NFL draft in return. They spent it on Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
General manager Joe Schoen and Harbaugh added a slew of veterans to the group to hopefully defray the loss of Lawrence, who was by far their best lineman and played 77 percent of the defensive snaps last season while battling a chronic elbow injury. It won't be easy to replace him.
Here's a quick overview of the Giants' defensive line heading into training camp this week.
Defensive line coach Dennis Johnson
Johnson comes to the Giants from the Baltimore Ravens, where he coached the defensive line the past two seasons. The Ravens had top-10 run defenses in both years under Johnson, and that will be his goal here in New York -- to fix the Giants' very leaky effort versus the run. Before his stint in Baltimore, Johnson coached the defensive lines at Baylor and LSU.
Defensive end
Shelby Harris (starter), Roy Robertson-Harris, Chauncey Golston, Zacch Pickens
The 34-year-old Harris is a stopgap player the Giants are hoping they can milk one more good season out of. The Giants are the seventh stop in his NFL career. His most recent stop was Cleveland, where he played the past seasons and missed just three games.
Robertson-Harris appeared in all 17 games last year for the Giants and played on 56 percent of the snaps as a rotational piece. He injured his Achilles earlier this year and will begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Golston only played 174 snaps for Big Blue last year after they inked him to a three-year, $19.5 million free-agent deal. Ankle and neck injuries held him to just ten games. The Giants are hoping for more out of him in 2026.
Pickens spent most of last season on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs. He's being given a shot to steal a spot on the roster or the practice squad this summer.
Nose tackle
D.J. Reader (starter), Leki Fotu, Bobby Jamison-Travis (rookie), Anquin Barnes, Jr. (UDFA)
Reader was the big get this offseason after the departure of Lawrence. He is a 335-pound run-stuffer who can collapse the pocket. The 32-year-old was Lawrence's predecessor at Clemson and plays a similar style. He is durable as well, starting 32 games over the past two years for the Detroit Lions.
Fotu is a six-year NFL journeyman with significant size (6'5", 330) who the Giants will insert into their rotation. The others are rookies the Giants hope to catch lightning in a bottle with. Auburn standout Jamison-Travis could be a surprise this summer. The Giants could use some luck here. Barnes is listed at 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds.
Defensive tackle
Darius Alexander (starter), Sam Roberts, Josh Tupou, Ben Barten (UDFA)
Alexander, the Giants' third-round pick out of Toledo last April, took a while to get his sea legs last year, and came on late with 3.5 sacks. Big Blue is counting on him to take a big leap in Year 2.
Roberts begins camp on the PUP list. The former Atlanta Falcon underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury this offseason. Tupou is a 32-year-old, 350-pound veteran Schoen added to the mix to compete for a role. Barten is another big body who was productive in college at Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants training camp preview: Life after Dexter Lawrence
New York GiantsLifeDexter LawrenceNT Dexter LawrenceThe New York GiantsJohn HarbaughThe GiantsAllProClemsonLawrenceCincinnati Bengals
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