Giants could target Christian Wilkins to fix run defense, reunite him with Dexter Lawrence

As the Giants head into the 2026 offseason, improving their run defense and upgrading their talent in the trenches will be a top priority for John Harbaugh.

Art Stapleton of North Jersey has identified a potential addition for the interior of the defensive line: Christian Wilkins. After a tumultuous year in Las Vegas that saw him sidelined by a foot injury and ultimately released, Wilkins enters the market as a high-upside gamble with deep-rooted ties to the Giants’ locker room.

For a front office that famously passed on Wilkins in 2024 —a move revealed on Hard Knocks—the opportunity to rectify that mistake and pair him with his “best friend” Dexter Lawrence might be too poetic to ignore.

Reuniting Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins

Signing Wilkins could be the bargain-valued addition that Harbaugh was notorious for making during his time with the Ravens, as Stapleton pointed out.

“And one name not on my list that I think will resurface this week in buzzy circles, and I’ll mention him on All In shows from the Combine, so here goes: F.O.D. Christian Wilkins … Friend of Dex A Ravensy signing if there ever was one,” Stapleton posted on X.

The primary draw for Wilkins in East Rutherford is the presence of Dexter Lawrence. The two were foundational members of Clemson’s legendary “Power Rangers” defensive line, helping lead the Tigers to a national championship.

By bringing Wilkins into the fold, the Giants wouldn’t just be adding a player; they’d be installing a pre-built communication hub at the line of scrimmage.

Wilkins Was Once an Elite Run Defender

Over his career with the Dolphins, Wilkins accumulated 372 career tackles, 56 QB hits, 22.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles — and the majority of that production came as a true every-down defender who played all 17 games in each of his final three Miami seasons before the foot injury derailed everything.

In 2023, Wilkins had 27 third-down pressures — tied for second among interior linemen, alongside Chris Jones and DeForest Buckner, trailing only Quinnen Williams’ 30. His third-down pressure rate of 19.0% ranked third among interior linemen behind only Aaron Donald and Quinnen Williams.

In 2022 and 2023, Wilkins earned PFF run-defense grades above 78.0. Even in his injury-shortened 2024 campaign with the Raiders, Wilkins was highly efficient. His 74.7 overall grade ranked 17th in the league at the time of his injury, showing that his floor is still higher than most NFL starters’ ceilings.

Fixing the Giants’ League-Worst Run Defense

The Giants’ 2025 defensive tape was often painful to watch, specifically when opponents kept the ball on the ground. New York allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry and ranked dead last in Defensive Rushing DVOA (11.8%).

While Lawrence remained an individual force, he was often a lone wolf in the interior, with teams successfully doubling him and washing out the Giants’ secondary gaps.

Wilkins, when healthy, is a premier run-stuffer; in his last full season with Miami, he posted 9.0 sacks and consistently graded as a top-10 interior defender. Adding Wilkins would theoretically force offenses to pick their poison, plugging gaps on the interior and improving the team’s run defense and pass rush alike. With all that attention paid to Lawrence and Wilkins on the interior, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter should have a field day on the edges.

The Giants Could Sign Wilkins for a Bargain

Despite the potential impact, the if healthy caveat is doing heavy lifting here. Wilkins missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a Jones fracture in his left foot and was released by the Raiders after a reported dispute regarding his surgery and rehab process.

The Raiders voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money on his contract, citing “failure to maintain his physical condition to play,” and released him in late July 2025 with a terminated vested veteran designation. Wilkins filed a grievance with the NFLPA.

That ugly exit from Las Vegas is precisely what creates the value opportunity for the Giants. A healthy Wilkins in 2024 commanded $27.5 million per year. The version entering 2026 free agency — coming off a lost season, carrying injury uncertainty, and exiting a team under contentious circumstances — will sign for a fraction of that number.

This medical red flag, combined with his age (30), makes Wilkins a potential low-cost, high-reward signing. While his previous deal carried a $27.5M AAV, the Giants could likely land him on a prove-it, low-cost one-year deal.

If Wilkins can pass a physical and regain his form, he could be the missing piece on the interior that turns the Giants’ front seven from a liability against the run to a top-5 unit.