The New York Giants may have overhauled the supporting pieces of their roster this offseason, but they're not done building a contender. A few of their roster repairs, including the interior of the defensive line, were short-term solutions. Veteran signings DJ Reader and Shelby Harris are both at least 32 years old.

Big Blue still needs a young defensive tackle to build around. Second-year pro Darius Alexander has had an encouraging offseason, but he can't hold down the interior on his own.

Bleacher Report's scouting department found an answer in its recent 2027 mock draft, pairing Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles with the Giants with the 11th overall pick.

Analyst Matt Holder said, "A need exists at defensive tackle. Echoles tops the list. The 6'3", 315-pound defender does have room for growth as a pass-rusher, but the Ole Miss product is the class' best run-defender in the trenches."

Will Echoles is Giants' Ideal DT to Pair With Darius Alexander

In 2025, the Giants allowed the second-most rushing yards in the NFL and the most EPA per rush attempt. With weak linebacker play and limited contributions from defensive linemen not named Dexter Lawrence, the unit was unable to get consistent stops.

Reader, along with linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese, will help solve the problem in 2026. Still, the Giants could use another run-stopping defensive tackle.

Echoles is one of the best run-stuffers in college football. He produced 30 run stops last season, per Pro Football Focus, and his run defense grade of 82.4 ranked fifth among all qualifying FBS interior defensive linemen.

The Ole Miss defender can contribute as a pass rusher, too. In 2025, he had five sacks and five pass deflections.

While his strong anchor is his best quality, Echoles has enough burst off the line of scrimmage to knife through gaps. His athletic profile suggests that he could take a major step forward in pass-rushing production this season.

Echoles offers positional flexibility. Last season, he took 108 snaps as a nose tackle and 434 snaps as a three-technique defensive tackle. That versatility would make him a perfect fit with the Giants. He could become a valuable part of the Giants’ defensive line rotation.

The interior of the defensive line is set to be one of New York's most pressing needs next offseason, especially if Alexander fails to reach his breakout potential. Walking away from the 2027 Draft with Echoles would be a phenomenal outcome for the Giants.

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