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New York Giants Should Dump This Veteran Without Hesitation
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- New York Giants Should Dump This Veteran Without Hesitation
The New York Giants ' defensive tackle room looks almost entirely different heading into 2026, with Darius Alexander likely being the only remaining member from last season with Roy Robertson-Harrison seeming primed for injured reserve.
The Giants traded away Dexter Lawrence and then selected Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. They also signed veterans DJ Reader, Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu in free agency.
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Reader and Harris are expected to be the top two defensive tackles on the squad. Alexander and Jamison-Travis will be jockeying for playing time. And if New York keeps five defensive tackles? Then the Giants can go with a wild card.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic is projecting Fotu to make the roster, but I actually think that would be a mistake for a Big Blue squad that has 6-foot-5, 340-pound rookie Anquin Barnes Jr. in camp.
Fotu has bounced around the league quite a bit since being selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the draft back in 2020.
He spent his first four seasons with the Cardinals, but has since had stints with the New York Jets , Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans .
Leki Fotu. Credit: USA TODAY Network.
The 27-year-old split the 2025 campaign between Las Vegas and Houston, logging a grand total of 11 tackles and a sack in eight games while posting a 46.6 overall grade at Pro Football Focus. He also posted a 46.6 grade against the run.
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Fotu has never been all that impressive. His two best years came between 2022 and 2023 with the Cardinals and the Jets, when he registered 31 tackles and followed that up with 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the latter season.
Otherwise, the University of Utah native has largely been a non-factor, and while he is a big body at 6-foot-5, 317 pounds, it would almost seem like a waste of a roster spot to pick him over Barnes, a Warren Sapp disciple who flashed considerable potential at Colorado.
Yes, Barnes went undrafted, and there is a reason for that. But you can't teach that size, and he has the chops to become quite the run defender on the professional level.
I understand the Giants may feel more comfortable keeping Fotu because he is a veteran, and injury insurance is needed. Alexander had a rough rookie year in 2025, and Jamison-Travis is just a Day 3 pick. But it's hard not to be a bit intrigued by Barnes, as well as quite a bit underwhelmed by Fotu.
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New York should be better this coming fall, but it is still a rebuilding squad that should be looking to stockpile as much young talent as possible. Barnes could fit that mold, and provided that he has a strong training camp, the Giants might regret not giving him a chance over Fotu.
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