When the New York Giants selected Dexter Lawrence 17th overall in the 2019 NFL draft, it didn’t take long to see the value provided by the athletic nose tackle.
Lawrence took his game to a whole new level last season, which landed him a lucrative extension this offseason. He was one of the league’s best pass rushers, which is notable for a 350-pound interior defensive lineman.
This week, Pro Football Focus has been revealing its list of the 50 best players in the NFL ahead of the 2023 regular season and ranked Lawrence 29th overall.
29. DI DEXTER LAWRENCE, NEW YORK GIANTS
Lawrence became one of the most unstoppable defensive linemen in the game last season. His 92.0 overall grade tied with Chris Jones for the best among interior linemen in the regular season, and he finished with 63 total pressures. Unlike most pass-rushing interior linemen, Lawrence still spent over 500 snaps lined up in the A-gaps as a true nose tackle at over 340 pounds.
Lawrence landed two spots behind New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams and three spots ahead of his teammate, Andrew Thomas, making it very likely Lawrence will be the highest-ranked Giant on PFF’s list.
PFF named Lawrence the Giants’ most improved player in a season where he earned his first Pro Bowl appearance and Second-Team All-Pro honors. Sexy Dexy was also named to both PFF’s All-Pro Team and the Players’ All-Pro Team.
The more dominant Lawrence gets, the clearer it is to see the Giants won the infamous Odell Beckham Jr. trade.
