Ahead of the 2026 season, the New York Giants have several holes to fill. The team is still a work in progress as the 2026 NFL draft quickly approaches. Defensively, New York has talent in Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Abdul Carter. However, the Giants are thin at defensive tackle, and they need to address it.
Recently, ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported that a key depth piece left the team in free agency. Thirty-two-year-old Rakeem Nunez-Roches has signed a one-year deal to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nunez-Roches was with the Giants for three seasons. With his departure, New York must find a replacement. Could that player already be on the 2026 roster?
Rakeem Nunez-Roches left the New York Giants in free agency
It was a career-best season for Nunez-Roches in 2025 with the Giants
In the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Nunez-Roches out of Southern Miss. He was with the Chiefs for three seasons before they released him as a cost-cutting move in May 2018. Following his time in Kansas City, Nunez-Roches joined Tampa Bay’s practice squad in October 2018. Eventually, he signed a full-time contract and was with the Bucs for five seasons. He was on their Super Bowl-winning roster in 2020.
Before the 2023 season, the Giants signed Nunez-Roches to a three-year, $12 million deal. The veteran defensive tackle appeared in 40 games for New York and made 24 starts. Despite only appearing in nine of 17 games last season, Nunez-Roches had a career-high (3.0) sacks. News broke over the weekend that Nunez-Roches left the Giants in free agency. Now, New York must add depth at defensive tackle. What if help is already on the team, and they don’t know it yet?
Could Darius Alexander be a full-time starter next to Dexter Lawrence?
Along with Nunez-Roches, the Giants also lost defensive tackle D.J. Davidson in free agency. He signed with the Washington Commanders. With the players New York has lost this offseason, what moves will the front office make? What if the Giants already have help on their 2026 roster? Darius Alexander is heading into year two with New York. There’s always the possibility that Alexander takes a jump in his second season. That would benefit the team greatly.
In the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Giants selected Alexander out of Toledo. Coming out of college, Alexander was an older prospect. He was 25 as a rookie. The first half of the 2025 season was slow for Alexander. Over the team’s first 11 games, he did not play more than 28 snaps and was a rotational piece for the Giants.
From Week 12 forward, Alexander played his best football of the season. Three of his (3.5) sacks as a rookie happened in that time. Additionally, Alexander had a multi-sack outing vs. the Lions. With the production he gave the team late in 2025, the Giants hope Alexander can carry that into 2026. Based on the current roster, Alexander will have an opportunity to compete for a starting spot on the defense. New York needs the second-year pro to take a major leap and become a player the team can rely on consistently.