NY Giants make public OTA appearance without main Dexter Lawrence replacements

As the New York Giants held their first open-to-the-public Organized Team Activities (OTAs), media members and fans saw an alternative defense take the practice field—especially along the interior of the defensive line, where most of the players signed to replace Dexter Lawrence were absent.

As reported by Dan Duggan of The Athletic, neither D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, nor Sam Roberts was spotted on the practice field for the Giants. All three defensive linemen were signed during the offseason ahead of the 2026 NFL campaign.

While Roberts was signed in March, both Harris and Reader were brought into East Rutherford after New York traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, neither was in action on Thursday, meaning John Harbaugh and the rest of his staff are still somewhat in the dark about them. In addition to these absentees, the fact that the Giants are facing early injury concerns in the DL room is far from encouraging.

Why were they absent?

Roberts is still recovering from offseason surgery and has yet to be cleared to return to the practice field. Needless to say, the Giants will not rush him back and are taking every precaution.

D.J. Reader of the NY Giants.

As for Reader and Harris, neither is listed with an injury, and their absence from OTAs is seemingly a decision between them and the coaches. It is not rare—in fact, it is quite common—for veterans to opt out of voluntary workouts.

See also

NY Giants HC John Harbaugh calls out Dexter Lawrence for asking out, but praises replacements

Considering both Harris and Reader are new players joining the club, some may argue they are better off practicing with the team and getting early reps with the new coaching staff and teammates. However, it is a very long year, and veterans like them may have more to lose than to gain by stepping into the trenches in May.

Giants stay patient

The Giants should know better than to start second-guessing Harbaugh’s decisions right from the get-go, especially during OTAs. Right now, these practices are all fans and media have, but they will become a distant, irrelevant memory once the actual NFL season rolls around.

Still, those who wanted an early peek at the revamped defensive line without Lawrence—and with his replacements—instead got to see a unit that looked quite similar to its 2025 version, aside from a fair share of rookies and free-agency additions here and there.