Could Minnesota make a splash for the 28-year-old defensive tackle?
Star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants has requested a trade, according to Adam Schefter. Lawrence has been one of the best nose tackles in the game. As an elite run stuffer and excellent pass rusher, there is an opportunity for an NFL team to add a premium player.
Could that team be the Minnesota Vikings? Lawrence will draw interest across the league and return a major haul for the Giants. His contract isn't cheap either. For example, the Dallas Cowboys traded a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and defensive lineman Mazi Smith for Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline.
Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated floated a trade idea for the All-Pro defensive tackle.
- Vikings get: DT Dexter Lawrence
- Giants get: 2026 second-round pick (No. 49), 2027 fifth-round pick
"Lawrence, who the Giants drafted 17th overall in 2019, put together a dominant run as an interior pass-rusher from 2022-24. He made three straight Pro Bowls and recorded 27 sacks in that span. Lawrence also had a PFF grade of 89.9 or better in each year, with 60-plus QB pressures in '22 and '23. He was one of the best players in the league at his position.
Last season was oddly quiet for Lawrence from a sack perspective, but his pressure numbers and pass-rush grade remained very good. And unlike previous big-name Vikings DTs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, Lawrence is still on the back end of his prime. He doesn't turn 29 until November.
Can you imagine adding the man nicknamed Sexy Dexy — all 6'4", 340 pounds of him — to the middle of Brian Flores' defensive line? Alongside Jalen Redmond and the Vikings' edge rushers, Lawrence would have a chance to put together a major bounce-back season in 2026. He could be the piece the Vikings need to reach legitimate Super Bowl contention.
Lawrence is far better than any defensive tackle the Vikings could draft this year. He's also far more expensive, especially since he wants a raise on his current deal (which has two years left at about $20 million per year). But Brzezinski can figure out the salary cap element. This is the type of home run move the Vikings can make when they have Kyler Murray on a veteran's minimum salary. Parting with the 18th overall pick is too steep, but a second and a fifth — which is what Leonard Williams was traded for a few years ago — feels like a fair price."