Achilles tear deals blow to Giants DL that’s looking thin without Dexter Lawrence

The New York Giants completely shook up their defensive line when they traded away Dexter Lawrence. But now their depth at the position is looking thin following New York’s latest injury.

Roy Robertson-Harris has tore his Achilles and is now out for the season, via Dan Duggan of The Athletic. He had started all 17 games for the Giants in 2025.

“Giants DL Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles during yesterday’s practice, per sources. That’s a blow to an already thin unit,” Duggan wrote. “The 10th-year veteran started all 17 games last season in the first year of a two-year, $9 million contract.”

The Giants did sign a pair of veteran defensive tackles in free agency in DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. With Robertson-Harris now out of the picture, they’ll be taking on much greater responsibilities. Both come with a long history in the NFL. That experience must now pay off for New York.

Over those 17 games in 2025, Robertson-Harris put up 35 tackles, six quarterback hits and a pass defended. He has spent nine years total in the NFL, racking up 246 tackles, 73 quarterback hits and 19 sacks.

The Giants have plenty of options in their pass rush. They just drafted Arvell Reese while already rostering players like Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Still, the interior of their defensive line became a question as soon as the Lawrence trade became official. There will be only more questions following Robertson-Harris’ injury.

New head coach John Harbaugh was already dealing with a mountain to climb as he joined the Giants. Now, he must continue building out his first defense without a key contributor in mind.

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