The New York Giants’ defensive line underwent a complete transformation over a recent three-week stretch. It wasn’t a planned overhaul, as coach John Harbaugh had expected All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to be the centerpiece of his defense. But when Lawrence requested a trade and the Cincinnati Bengals offered the No. 10 pick in the draft, the Giants pivoted.Lawrence was traded April 18, five days before the start of the draft. The Giants didn’t make any rash decisions, knowing they had veteran options who could be added after free-agent signings stopped counting toward the compensatory pick formula on April 27.The Giants selected 6-foot-3, 328-pound nose tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis with one of their three sixth-round picks. Then they signed 6-foot-5, 330-pound Ben Barten and 6-foot-5, 340-pound Anquin Barnes as undrafted free agents. That was just the start.Veterans Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu signed free-agent deals on April 29. Harris, who turns 35 in August, has been exceptionally durable, missing only six games over the past five seasons. The 6-foot-2, 288-pounder is a three-technique defensive tackle who will compete with veteran Roy Robertson-Harris and 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander for snaps. The Giants signed Harris to a one-year, $3 million contract with $2.66 million guaranteed.The 6-foot-5, 317-pound Fotu is a nose tackle who has appeared in just 10 games over the past two seasons. His one-year, $1.29 million contract with just $25,000 guaranteed is a sign the Giants view Fotu as nothing more than a competitor for a backup spot.The Giants made their biggest splash with the long-anticipated signing of nose tackle DJ Reader on May 5. The Giants gave Reader a two-year, $12.5 million contract with $5.25 million guaranteed. The Giants can move on from Reader, who turns 32 in July, after this season to create $6.25 million in cap savings with a $1.75 million dead-money charge in 2027. The 6-foot-3, 335-pound Reader started 32 games for the Lions over the past two seasons. He is the defensive tackle addition most expected to offset Lawrence’s absence in the middle of the run defense.On the same day the Giants signed Reader, they claimed Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Pickens has been a disappointment since being a third-round pick by the Bears in 2023. He spent most of last season on the Chiefs’ practice squad, appearing in three games. Pickens is under contract for this season with a $1.15 million cap hit.To recap: The Giants added Reader, Harris, Jamison-Travis, Fotu, Pickens, Barten and Barnes to their defensive line in a three-week span. In addition to the Lawrence trade, they cut Elijah Chatman, DeMarvin Leal and Marlon Tuipulotu to make space for the newcomers. Alexander, Robertson-Harris and Sam Roberts, who was signed on March 23, are still on the roster.It’s not as if the Giants began prioritizing the defensive line only after trading away Lawrence. They had Reader and Harris in for visits before that situation reached the point of no return. The idea was to add one or two of those vets to complement Lawrence. Once Lawrence was dealt, it became a priority to land Reader and Harris.“I thought we did a good job of kind of responding to the situation as it unfolded, and now we feel really good about our group in there,” Harbaugh said. “It looks good to me. I’m excited about it. I think we have the guys we need.”