The New York Giants have a dominant force in the middle of their defensive line. DT Dexter Lawrence has established himself as one of the league’s best defensive players over the last few seasons.
According to a recent poll conducted by ESPN, NFL executives, coaches, and scouts believe Lawrence is the No. 1 defensive tackle in the league entering 2025.
Giants’ Dexter Lawrence ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle in the NFL
ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top 10 players at each position. Jeremy Fowler relayed the rankings, which featured Lawrence as the top defensive tackle in the game.
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“Lawrence’s game reached a new stratosphere in 2024, when he expanded his arsenal and added a nine-sack season to an already stellar résumé,” Fowler wrote.
“Dominating the run was always on the agenda for Lawrence. He has the balance, power, flexibility, footwork and acumen to post big sack numbers. In the past, the knock on Lawrence was that he missed too many near-sacks. No longer. Lawrence racked up quarterback takedowns while facing a 74.5% double-team rate, higher than any other interior lineman. The Giants saw him improve his ability to transition off blocks, be great on the move and finish takedowns.”
Lawrence ranked ahead of other elite talents, such as Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, and Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets.
Lawrence will be a top DPOTY candidate in 2025
Prior to a season-ending elbow injury, Lawrence was on pace for a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber campaign last season. One anonymous NFL personnel director felt like he deserved the award anyway.
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“I thought he should have been [Defensive Player of the Year] with the season he had,” the NFL personnel director said, according to ESPN. “He’s a true zero-technique nose who can occupy doubles and neutralize the run game. I think he took his pass rush to a different level, and I think he would have had double-digit sacks if (Brian) Burns and (Kayvon) Thibodeaux stayed healthy. A true three-down game wrecker who needs attention every single snap.”
Expectations for Lawrence are high entering the 2025 season. He set career-highs with 9.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss last season despite playing in only 12 games. Now he is playing on a defensive line featuring the returning Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edges, along with new first-round rookie Abdul Carter.
Teams will double-team him, triple-team him, and do whatever they can to slow down Lawrence — but it will never be enough, especially with the talent that surrounds him on this Giants defensive line.
Giants could hand out a solid multi-year deal to home-grown defender