The New York Giants added another body to a defensive line that has been remade this offseason, claiming C.J. Ravenell off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday while waiving injured Rico Payton.
It is a small but meaningful roster move for a team that has kept turning over the front of its defense. The Giants have added multiple veterans and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick to the defensive line, and Ravenell becomes the latest piece to join that mix.
What Ravenell brings to the Giants
Ravenell is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle who spent training camp with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025 before landing with the Titans. Last season, he played in 14 games with one start for Tennessee, finishing with six tackles, one forced fumble and 97 defensive snaps.
That background gives the Giants another interior option as they continue to sort out competition behind the established names on the line. With Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, D.J. Davidson, Elijah Chatman, Roy Robertson-Harris, D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, Leki Fotu, Sam Roberts, Zacch Pickens and Bobby Jamison-Travis all part of the broader picture, the margin for training-camp roster spots remains tight.
Payton moves off the 90-man roster
The corresponding move also changes the competition at cornerback, with Rico Payton waived injured. Payton had previously been claimed off waivers by the Giants from the New Orleans Saints last season and appeared in nine games.
For the Giants, that means one more reshuffle on a roster that has already seen plenty of movement. The defensive line work is still ongoing, but Tuesday's move shows the team is continuing to look for depth and options up front while the camp battle around the 90-man roster continues.
