The Fit

Dexter Lawrence II is a top interior lineman in the NFL. His stats may not pop off the page, but if you look a little further, you will see an elite player in every facet of the game. With an 84.5 pass rush grade, a 55.5% double team rate, and a 32% run stop win rate, he’s still among the top of the hierarchy when it comes to the interior defensive line play in the NFL.

As far as his fit in LA, the Chargers have a stable of strong interior defensive line play with Teair Tart, Justin Eboigbe and newly acquired Dalvin Tomlinson, but by no means should any of those names deter a front office from upgrading with the likes of “Sexy Dexy”.

Whatever team looks to acquire Lawrence will immediately be put in a situation where they will have to pay up, with contracts like Milton Williams and his 27.5M AAV, it’s fair to assume Lawrence’s new deal would exceed the 30 Million bench mark, and the Chargers are one of the few teams would could actually afford not just to take him on, but extend him comfortably while not compromising their future.

The Reality

The Chargers and Lawrence, on paper, are a sensational fit, but alas, reality sets in. The Chargers have 5 total draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, making it extremely unlikely they will even entertain trading one of those picks, despite the opportunity to add an elite player and having the money to do so.

It’s times like these you think back to trades like Austin Deculus and Trevor Penning, trades that took away draft capital and created a situation where the draft class becomes thin and removes flexibility for offseason moves such as this one. With Dexter Lawrence II having an asking price that will probably command a late first to a second round pick, the Chargers may not have the capital to do a deal that leaves them with only 4 picks in the upcoming draft, and without Pick 22 or 56 to bolster the interior offensive line, which is a much more drastic need than the alternative.

Does He Even Get Traded?

With all of this being said, the Chargers may still make a phone call and check in on the availability and asking price of the All-Pro, especially with the new Harbaugh connection between the Giants and Chargers, but the most likely scenario is that Lawrence stays put and that this is just a negotiation tactic to get the Giants to pay up, and he will be suiting up for Big Blue in MetLife come September.

He’s too important to what they do, and it would be a cataclysmic mishandling of the superstar if John Harbaugh lets his new team's best player go out the door before making his first appearance as the Giants head coach in 2026.