'Hard Knocks' reveals Giants star tried recruiting college teammate in free agency

New York Giants star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence pulled out all the stops to recruit one of his college teammates in free agency.

During the first episode of "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants," one revelation that came to light was just how hard Lawrence was pulling for his team to sign Christian Wilkins in free agency.

Wilkins and Lawrence are very close friends after spending three seasons together (2016-2018) at Clemson.

MORE: Hard Knocks reveals John Mara didn't want to lose Giants star free agent

The former Miami Dolphins star was one of the prized free agents on the market this offseason, and Lawrence even went as far as texting general manager Joe Schoen with a pitch.

It was made pretty clear that the Giants didn't see Wilkins as a game-changing presence on third down as a pass-rusher, which remains their biggest need on the defensive line.

Ultimately, Wilkins signed a massive four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

No matter how badly Lawrence wanted to reunite with his friend, the Giants were never going to pay that.