The Detroit Lions did not live up to expectations during the 2025 NFL season. Detroit finished the regular season 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The Lions deserve credit for aggressively adding talent during NFL free agency. However, the team may need to go a step further if they want to get back into the playoffs in 2026.
One player the Lions should keep an eye on is Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. The veteran defender requested a trade from the Giants on Monday after both sides failed to agree on a contract extension. Lawrence and New York have been trying to get a new deal done for the past two years, but he clearly has given up.
Lawrence is a truly unique player who could completely change the complexion of Detroit’s defensive line. As such, the Lions need to at least make a call to the Giants and inquire about their asking price.
Detroit should consider offering the following trade package to New York for Lawrence following his trade request.
The Lions’ perfect trade offer for Giants DT Dexter Lawrence
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Before we dive into any analysis, these are the terms of the proposed trade.
Lions receive:
DT Dexter Lawrence
2026 sixth-round pick (193rd overall)
Giants receive:
2026 second-round pick (50th overall)
2026 fifth-round pick (157th overall)
2026 sixth-round pick (205th overall)
In this scenario, the Lions pay a heavy price to land Lawrence.
It is difficult to determine exactly what Lawrence’s value on the trade market will be. The Quinnen Williams trade set a pretty high bar, with Dallas giving up a future first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick. New York might demand a similar trade package, as Lawrence is one month younger than Williams and has flashed elite play in recent seasons.
But there’s just no chance that Detroit would give up more than a first-round pick for a player like Lawrence. Ultimately, the Lions offer volume with multiple mid-round draft picks, including a pretty valuable second-round pick.
If that is enough to make a trade happen, it would be a great move by the Lions.
Lawrence is arguably the best interior defender in the NFL. He is a talented nose tackle who can two-gap in the running game, something Detroit’s coaching staff would love. Meanwhile, he’s a monster when rushing the passer who could take advantage of the one-on-one matchups Aidan Hutchinson creates for his teammates. Remember, Lawrence had nine sacks in 2024 as one of the team’s primary pass rushers.
The combination of Lawrence, Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, and D.J. Wonnum would cause plenty of problems for opposing offenses.
Does Dexter Lawrence make sense for the Lions from a financial perspective?
There’s no question that adding Lawrence would be a great move for Detroit’s defensive line. But can the Lions afford to take on his contract?
New York signed Lawrence to a four-year, $90 million extension back in 2023. He is still under contract through the 2027 season with cap hits of $26.96 million and $28.96 million over the next two years.
The Lions could take on Lawrence’s contract and have $4.76 million left on their 2026 salary cap. But that does not factor in signing their 2026 rookie class, nor setting money aside for in-season additions. Even if the Lions do want Lawrence, they’ll need to find a solution there.
There’s also the fact that Detroit has a few players coming up on contract extensions of their own. Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell are first in line for long-term extensions, which could happen anytime over the next calendar year. Any potential trade for Lawrence should factor in both Gibbs and Campbell.
One lever the Lions could pull is giving Lawrence a contract extension immediately after acquiring him. In theory, the Lions could structure that new contract to lower Lawrence’s cap hits in 2026 and even 2027 if needed.
Of course, going this route could put Detroit is a difficult salary cap position in future seasons. There’s simply no way to know for sure.
Ultimately, the Lions may need to feel extremely confident in how Lawrence could improve their defense to make an offer for him. That doesn’t mean a potential trade is impossible, but it certainly looks improbable.
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