Should the Saints look into trading for Giants DT Dexter Lawrence?

Throughout the 2026 offseason to this point, the emphasis has heavily been on offense for the New Orleans Saints, signing David Edwards and Travis Etienne early in the process. Bringing in Kaden Elliss to replace Demario Davis was the next swap out, but at the moment, Cameron Jordan has not re-signed, and Alontae Taylor has moved on for other opportunities.

With how well the Saints' defense has performed in the past few seasons, especially in 2025, adding to it and building it into a focal point of the franchise long-term would be a huge deal. One of the most notable ways of doing so would be getting an elite run-defender up the middle, someone like New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. Lawrence, a seven-year veteran of the Giants, has rapidly become one of the best defenders in football and is now said to be available for trade after talks broke down on a new contract extension.

So, should New Orleans be checking in to try and get him? That question is more loaded than initially anticipated, as the obvious answer talent-wise would be yes, but since this is a trade, it could get difficult. Lawrence is looking for a contract that would put him near the top of the defensive tackle market, somewhere in the $30 million per year range, similar to Chris Jones.

Not only that, but the draft capital that would have to be given up for him would likely be a first-round pick and another mid-rounder, similar to what Quinnen Williams went for earlier last year. This would make for a difficult pricetag, especially for the Saints, as 2027 is widely considered a highly talented class, so giving up a 2026 or 2027 first for Lawrence would really be difficult.

In all honesty, as much as it would be great to have Lawrence on the Saints, the price, both monetarily and in terms of draft selections, is likely too much at this point in a rebuild. With things turning positive on offense and hopes high, money should be spent to facilitate growth for the organization in free agency, and picks should focus on setting a strong foundation long-term.