The New York Giants defensive line will once again be the engine driving the effort for a unit now being run by coordinator Dennard Wilson.
The former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator will get work with the likes of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter on the edge. He'll also have a veteran group on the interior, including the addition of D.J. Reader.
In hopes of beefing up the run defense, the Giants signed Reader to a two-year deal during the offseason. While several players will make an impact on the defensive side of the ball, ESPN's Ben Solak chose Reader as the team's X-factor going into the 2026 season.
Reader was once a premier run-stuffing nose tackle in this league, but his numbers are down over the past two seasons.
His stop rate of 8.6% last season -- the percentage of tackles that stopped the run for negative expected points, per NFL Next Gen Stats -- was his lowest single-season mark since 2018. His stuff rate of 1.1% -- the percentage of tackles that were for zero or fewer yards -- was the lowest of his career. The splashy impact against the run is waning for the 32-year-old.
How many snaps does Reader have in him at his age, and can he achieve more impact against the run in a new defensive system in New York? Without a renaissance Reader season, I'm worried that we'll see another season in which the Giants' defense is too easy to run on for its pass rush to really matter.
Though that's not exactly a ringing endorsement from Solak despite naming him a key player, the fact remains that Reader's role will be vital for the Giants defense.
The Giants defense ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed (2,470) and 29th in rushing touchdowns allowed (21). If the defense is going to take any kind of step forward, it will need Reader to turn the clock back a bit.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: D.J. Reader named New York Giants' 2026 X-factor
