NY Giants Sign Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu: Is DT Plan Enough?

The Giants added Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu on the same day, giving New York badly needed defensive tackle help after the Dexter Lawrence trade. The gain is clear: more size, experience, and run-defense options up front. The sacrifice is just as clear: neither player is a true Dexter replacement by himself, so is this a real defensive line plan or just the Giants stacking bodies and hoping the rotation holds?

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Drew and Rob break down a busy Giants news night after New York signed two defensive tackles before the show even got rolling. Shelby Harris is the bigger name and the more proven piece. He brings 146 career games, 89 starts, and a profile that fits what the Giants need most right now: veteran run-defense help, pocket push, and someone who can help keep linebackers clean. But the debate is not whether Harris can help. The debate is whether a 34-year-old veteran, turning 35 before the season, is enough to stabilize a defensive line that just lost one of the best interior players in football.

The second signing, Leki Fotu, makes the conversation even more interesting. Fotu gives the Giants a massive interior body, which matters because they still need size in the middle. But expectations have to be realistic. This is not a splash signing. It is a depth and rotation move. The Giants appear to be rebuilding the defensive tackle room with multiple pieces instead of one direct Dexter Lawrence replacement, and that creates the real question: can a group approach work, or do they still need D.J. Reader, Calais Campbell, or another veteran before fans should feel comfortable?

Drew and Rob also connect the defensive tackle plan to the rest of the defense. If Harris, Fotu, Roy Robertson-Harris, Darius Alexander, and the rest of the rotation can occupy blockers and tighten the run defense, it could free up the Giants’ linebackers and edge rushers to make more plays. That matters even more after Abdul Carter led the NFL in quick pressures in 2025, getting to the quarterback in under 2.5 seconds more than stars like Nik Bonitto, Will Anderson Jr., Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett. Carter’s late-season surge has the guys asking whether a breakout year is coming.

The show also covers Jeremy Shockey’s huge praise for Francis Mauigoa, including his claim that Mauigoa could be an All-Pro guard right away if the Giants move him inside. That turns into a larger discussion about the Giants’ draft class, the optimism around John Harbaugh, and why national outlets and bettors are suddenly showing real interest in Big Blue. Sports Illustrated listed the Giants near the top of its worst-to-first candidates, and after the draft, New York became one of the most-bet NFC teams to make the Super Bowl.

Drew and Rob also react to Russell Wilson visiting the Jets, what his post-Giants future looks like, and why his legacy conversation has become complicated after several rough seasons. The episode closes with a serious note on the passing of former Giants linebacker Josh Mauro and a reminder of how young 35 really is.

So where should Giants fans land on this defensive tackle plan? Is Harris a smart veteran pickup? Is Fotu just depth, or can he carve out a useful nose tackle role? And if the Giants are not done, who still needs to be added before this defensive line feels good enough for 2026?

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