After trading Dexter Lawrence, the New York Giants went above and beyond and left no stone unturned in their effort to replace him ahead of the 2026 NFL season. However, the Giants’ bid to replace Lawrence could push Elijah Chatman off the roster—and it already has.
The Giants announced that defensive linemen Elijah Chatman and Marlon Tuipulotu have been released. The move made sense, as New York currently employs a surplus of defensive ends and tackles. Since moving on from Lawrence, the G-Men have gone on a shopping spree in an effort to make up for the loss of their star defender.
Now, the Giants were left with little choice but to trim some of that depth. As a result, Chatman and Tuipulotu are now free agents. The former’s release had been reported and was somewhat expected, while the latter had signed a reserve/future contract with New York back in January.
NY Giants’ depth on defensive line
As it stands, the Giants have 10 defensive linemen under contract. Since Harbaugh tends to favor a 3-4 scheme, that means New York could put together 120 different combinations along the defensive line. Talk about keeping opponents on their toes. However, Big Blue won’t carry this current group into the campaign—more moves are expected before the 2026 NFL season.
Elijah Chatman in action for the Giants
For the time being, though, the G-Men boast the following options: D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, and Leki Fotu, all of whom were signed shortly after New York traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals. The defensive line room is rounded out by Roy Robertson-Harris, Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Sam Roberts, Zacch Pickens, Anquin Barnes Jr., and Ben Barten.
Giants’ offseason keeps up the pace
What starts hectic often ends the same way. The Giants’ preparation for the 2026 NFL season probably won’t be an exception. More likely than not, the releases of Chatman and Tuipulotu won’t be the final moves of a busy offseason in East Rutherford.
