The Giants Defensive Lineman That Needs to Be Noticed
Dexter Lawrence has always been on the defensive line since the day he was drafted by the New York Football Giants. At six-foot-four and weighing over 340 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with and has taken down some of the biggest names around the league. He has been someone truly great to watch when he gets the chance to get through and make the stops during game time. However, he is still one of the most underrated defensive forces around the NFL.
Lawrence has always had a high football IQ and the physical tools that are needed to be the defensive lineman that the Giants have so desperately needed over the last several years. Last season, it was him and edge rusher Brian Burns doing a lot of the on-field work despite having the rest of the defensive line. Before going out with an elbow injury last season, he posted seven sacks and 48 pressures. It’s his technique that he has that has set him apart from everyone else.
Big names like Quinnen Williams and Aaron Donald are huge around the NFL on the defensive side, and Lawrence posts nearly the same numbers as the two of them. However, Lawrence's consistency still goes unnoticed outside of the Meadowlands when it should be much bigger around the league. The Giant's defensive tackle has never just been plugging the gaps; he makes sure he is collapsing the pockets, freeing up pass-rushing lanes for other players such as Kayvon Thibodeaux. He puts his best foot forward and always shows the team that he has a positive attitude about everything that he can do.
Things may turn around for him this coming season because of how quiet the Giants have been for their rebuild during this offseason. They have been very much out there in the open, letting everyone know where things are with the Giants’ offensive line, but not so much with the Giants’ defensive line. The franchise has done a great job when it came to making their draft picks and who they have been able to sign onto the roster this offseason. They have done a quiet rebuild and built much of the defensive line around Lawrence. By adding Abdul Carter and Roy Robertson-Harris to the roster and adding a very healthy rotation behind him, there may be a better season ahead for him with the Giants. If he can pull off more than he has the last couple of seasons, he may be one of the biggest conversations around the NFL this coming year.
