New York Giants Have a Sleeper Defender Making Serious Noise

Back in March 2025, as part of a defensive overhaul, the New York Giants signed defensive end Chauncey Golston to a three-year, $18 million contract.

The deal was widely viewed as a steal for the Giants, as Golston was coming off of a very impressive season with the Dallas Cowboys and was considered an underrated player.

Unfortunately, Golston's debut campaign in New York did not exactly go according to plan.

A neck injury limited the University of Iowa product to 10 games, and during his time on the field, he played in just 27 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps.

Considering New York had Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter on the edge, Golston's lack of playing time should not have come as too much of a surprise.

But you had to wonder if the Giants were underutilizing Golston, who had registered 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks the season prior.

Now, things are a bit different.

New York has a new coaching staff, and with defensive tackle being an area of weakness for Big Blue at the moment, Golston could have a fresh lane to playing time.

While Golston has played on the edge for the vast majority of his career, he has the size (6-foot-5, 277 pounds) to play inside, and it appears the Giants are toying with that concept in training camp.

In fact, Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post has reported that Golston is getting first-team reps along the defensive line with DJ Reader and Shelby Harris, an indication that the Giants are considering a quasi-position switch for the 28-year-old.

It makes sense, as Golston is too good of a player to just sit on the bench.

Even late in 2025, the former third-round pick showed signs of life, playing some impressive football with an uptick in playing time down the stretch.

We know that the edge is clogged with Burns, Carter and Thibodeaux. Rookie inside linebacker Arvell Reese — who displayed clear pass-rushing potential in college — might even get some reps on the outside.

Golston probably doesn't have much of an avenue to playing time as an end. But if he shows he can regularly play inside, it would be a game-changer for the sixth-year veteran.

If the Giants do, in fact, decide to start using Golston regularly as a defensive tackle and the experiment works, it would provide a massive boost to their defense.