Trade rumors have cropped up about New York Giants superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, but the Giants have no idea why.
According to SNY insider Connor Hughes, the Giants are not interested in trading the three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman, with one source telling the news outlet Lawrence “was untouchable.”
Lawrence, the 19th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, had 31 tackles and a half-sack for the Giants in 2025. But Lawrence is widely considered one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is reportedly a huge fan of the veteran.
Lawrence has 341 tackles, 30.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in his seven seasons with the Giants.
The Giants Reportedly Deem Dexter Lawrence ‘Untouchable’
The NFL’s calendar rolls over next week, which means aside from free agent signings, there could be a slew of trades as well.
Yet, according to Hughes, who authored an update on the Giants’ offseason fresh off their appearance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last week, the Giants are unlikely to part with Lawrence, unless they are blown away by an offer.
“Multiple sources who met with the Giants said they came away believing Lawrence, barring insane return value, was untouchable,” Hughes wrote. “One high-ranking Giants source said there was “zero truth” to any notion they were considering moving Lawrence.”
That Lawrence came up in trade scuttlebutt, unlike the rumors surrounding Kayvon Thibodeaux, is surprising to members of the Giants.
According to Hughes, Wilson, who like his predecessor Shane Bowen is coming to the Giants after serving as the defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, is already scheming for Lawrence to work with the rest of New York’s high-end defensive linemen.
“New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is particularly high on Lawrence,” Hughes reported. “They two have spent quite a bit of time talking. Wilson is already devising ways to use him, Abdul Carter and Brian Burns together.
“The key for the Giants is getting Lawrence back to the dominant player he used to be. He finished last season with half a sack.”
The Giants Believe Dexter Lawrence Was Injured in 2025
Lawrence had a career high nine sacks in 2024, yet that number fell off in 2025. Hughes noted he has gone two-dozen games since logging a full sack, which last took place against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 20, 2024.
Hughes reported Lawrence was battling an elbow injury throughout the season, according to general manager Joe Schoen. Yet, the Giants also feel Lawrence was not quite ready to compete in 2025 either, since he was splitting reps in training camp.
“Schoen acknowledged an ‘elbow’ that wasn’t completely right last season,” Hughes reported. “Lawrence did not report to training camp in particularly great shape, though, and then rotated in and out throughout the summer.”
But Lawrence is playing for a new coaching staff in Wilson, and of course widely respected first-year head coach John Harbaugh, and is entering the penultimate season of his five-year, $90 million contract signed after the 2022 season.
That means the veteran has something to prove in 2026.