As the first wave, then the second, then the third wave of free agency came and went, Johnathan Hankins remained out there on the open market, eschewing a standing offer from the Giants in search of a more lucrative deal.

Hankins signed Thursday with the Colts, and said the long process was not as arduous as it might have appeared.

“I knew I was going to be playing this season, wasn’t too much worried about it,’’ Hankins said Friday on a conference call. “But with the strength of my family and my agent, Kevin Poston … he did a tremendous job of talking to teams and getting everything in place. I guess when you wait for things and you be patient, good things come to good people. Thank God I was blessed to get this deal with the Colts and be able to play this season.’’

The Giants need to find a replacement alongside Damon “Snacks” Harrison at defensive tackle, unless they believe the answer is on their roster with Jay Bromley or Robert Thomas. Expect them to sign a veteran free agent — Jared Odrick, 29, a former Dolphins and Jaguars starter, makes the most sense — and likely take a defensive tackle in the second or third round of the upcoming NFL Draft.

General manager Jerry Reese has a track record of selecting interior defensive linemen high in the draft; he’s taken five (Jay Alford, Linval Joseph, Marvin Austin, Hankins and Jay Bromley) in the second or third round since 2007.

Hankins, 25, wanted more than the four-year, $28 million deal the Giants set aside for him nearly five weeks ago. The market did not materialize the way he envisioned, but he did find a team willing to pay him more: Hankins got a three-year contract worth up to $30 million, with $14.5 million in guaranteed money.

With the Giants, Hankins was a starter at defensive tackle and low-key presence in the locker room, surrounded by more high-profile players, especially on the defensive line. With the Colts, he is one of the higher-paid players on a defense viewed as holding back a team that features Andrew Luck and a high-octane offense.

“I guess it just comes with the deal I got,’’ Hankins said. “As long as I go out there and do my job and be productive and do what I told them I was going to come here and do, I’m OK with that. Continue doing what I was doing with the Giants, bring a different dimension over to this team and be more of a leader, get wins and get to the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.’’

Hankins said the interest by the Colts — whom he calls “definitely’’ a playoff team — was not a sudden occurrence.

“We spoke to ’em I guess when my agent met with them at the combine and always been in contact with them,’’ he said. “We were always in contact with a number of teams, and the Colts really stepped out among them all. Took a visit here, met with the coaches and everything just fell right in place. It was a good — I won’t say easy — decision, but it was a good decision for me and my family and I’m excited to be here.

“I’m excited about it, it’s a new team, a new group of guys. Going out there and competing, it’s a new start for me, a new beginning, and I’m just ready to go out there and do new things.’’