Giants part ways with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux in separate trade offers that boost New York’s draft plans
The idea of a Dexter Lawrence trade appeals to many teams across the NFL and it’s easy to see why since he’s one of the best players at his position. The following scenario is a total win for the Giants.
Dexter Lawrence requested a trade from the New York Giants earlier in the week, which prompted the “everybody’s tradeable” comment from John Harbaugh.
Well, in one of FOXSport’s most recent articles, the Giants do just that. However, they also trade another former first-rounder in Kayvon Thibodeaux, as well.
What do the Giants get in proposed Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux trades?
Senior writer Ralph Vacchiano is the one who came up with these ideas and he found a suitable partner for his Dexter Lawrence trade: the Houston Texans.
In the trade, the Giants receive Houston’s first-rounder and one of its two second-rounders. Those picks are Nos. 28 and 59 overall, respectively.
Then, for Thibodeaux, the Giants receive the 80th overall pick, which is a third-rounder, and a conditional 2027 fifth-rounder from the Ravens. Vacchiano didn’t go into detail regarding the conditional aspect and what it entails.
Regardless, both moves would give the Giants 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including two picks in Round 1 and five selections, in all, throughout Days 1 and 2. That’s huge for a team looking to forge a new identity under Harbaugh.
“The 28-year-old Lawrence wants out of New York as well as a new contract, but his leverage is low after a lackluster season in 2025. He’s only one year removed from a nine-sack Pro Bowl campaign, though, and the Texans need reinforcements inside to complement their dynamic duo on the edge (Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter).
They’d be counting on the 6-2, 345-pound Lawrence to regain his old form in a better environment and would likely have to extend his contract. But he could make one of the NFL’s best defenses impenetrable. Of course, that’s if the Giants decide to trade him, rather than pay him more.”
Ralph vacchiano
FOXSports Senior Writer
Both trades are big wins for the Giants
Man, it would be a huge win for the Giants if they were able to pull this off.
Sure, Dexter Lawrence is one of the best players at his position. However, he’s coming off the worst year of his career and he wants a new contract that pays him more than the $20 million he’s set to make in 2026.
That’s not an ideal situation for the Giants when it comes to what they could get in return. The same goes for Thibodeaux, who’s coming off a 2.5-sack campaign and has just eight total sacks over the last two years. He looked like he was turning into the first-rounder the Giants envisioned when he recorded 11.5 sacks in 2023, but has fallen flat, since.
To receive first-, second-, and third-round picks in this year’s draft for both players is absolutely huge. It doesn’t stop there, either. The Dexter Lawrence trade would clear a little more than $13 million in 2026 cap space and $22 million in 2027. Trading Thibodeaux would clear more than $14 million in both cap and cash this year, as well.
And, the Giants won’t be on the hook for a new Thibodeaux contract next year, either.
How likely is it the Giants get this kind of haul for both players?
It’s very likely the Giants receive the picks in the hypothetical Dexter Lawrence trade, but I’m not so sure about Thibodeaux. That move screams desperation on the Ravens’ end, which they shouldn’t be after signing Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
Sure, they left Maxx Crosby at the alter, but Hendrickson is still a top-tier guy. When considering how good the Ravens are at drafting and developing players, trading a third-rounder for an overall question mark doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Regardless, this is how the Giants’ draft picks would stack up after these moves:
- Round 1, No. 5 overall
- Round 1, No. 28 overall
- Round 2, No. 39 overall
- Round 2, No. 59 overall
- Round 3, No. 80 overall
- Round 4, No. 105 overall
- Round 5, No. 145 overall
- Round 6, No. 186 overall
- Round 6, No. 192 overall
- Round 6, No. 193 overall
These picks, along with the new cap space room/cash spending is the exact kind of scenario that helps new coaches get off to a fast start.
In other words: The Giants have to pull the trigger if offers similar to these come up. It’s a no-brainer.
