What's Next for Giants D-lineman Dexter Lawrence II?
Dexter Lawrence II, Defensive Tackle
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 342 pounds
2022 Stats: 7.5 sacks, 68 tackles, 28 quarterback hits
During his college years at Clemson, New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence made a name for himself by dominating opponents from the nose tackle spot.
That domination and production were enough to convince the Giants to select him with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 draft, the pick they had acquired from the Browns as part of the Odell Beckham Jr trade.
But then something weird happened. Instead of leaving Lawrence at the position where he had excelled in college, the Giants moved him outside, with sputtering results.
In his first three years in the league, the durable Lawrence recorded nine sacks (four being his season best), 145 tackles (not to exceed 60 in any given season), and 30 quarterback hits.
But last year, with the arrival of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, Lawrence finally blossomed into the every-down defender the Giants hoped he'd be when they drafted him. And all it took was to move Lawrence inside.
In his first three seasons in the league, Lawrence lined up in the A-gap 305 times. Last year, he lined up inside 660 times.
The results paid off. Lawrence logged career highs in sacks (7.5), tackles (68), and quarterback hits (30). He earned his first Pro Bowl berth and was voted second-team All-Pro.
All of that was good enough for the bubbly Lawrence, who goes by the moniker "Sexy Dexy," to earn a new four-year, $90 million extension, allowing him to continue terrorizing opposing offensive linemen who try to single block him.
And Lawrence, who told reporters earlier this spring that he aspires to achieve Hall of Fame-level greatness, is still young enough at 25 to get even better.
Best Case Scenario
A lot of credit has to go to Lawerence. He got his big payday and probably could easily rest on his laurels. But he's determined to ratchet up his game, as he has an eye on becoming a Hall of Fame defensive lineman.
To do that, though, Lawrence probably needs to elevate his game into the same discussion as Aaron Donald of the Rams, and that's quite a tall order.
Given Lawrence's work ethic, if anyone can make it happen, it's him, and if he can stay healthy while still being as productive as he's been (despite the anticipated reduction in his snaps this year), then the sky's the limit.
Worst Case Scenario
Lawrence has been the very picture of durability, missing just one game in his career--last year's meaningless regular-season finale in which the coach decided to bench all the starters ahead of the team's first playoff run since 2016.
But Lawrence, who saw his defensive snap workload rise over the last two years (from 69 percent to 82 percent), can't keep up that pace. The extra workload began to take its toll on him around mid-year when he suddenly needed a veteran rest day mid-week.
The good news is the Giants added some veteran depth to the defensive line that should hopefully allow Lawrence to take a breather as needed without the overall performance of the defensive front falling off a cliff the way it has the last two seasons.
But if that depth doesn't live up to expectations or gets injured, Lawrence might be asked to carry another heavy workload, which is dangerous in that it could wear him out before he has a chance to get through that contract.
What to Expect in 2023
Lawrence is locked in for a starting job. As for where he can get better: "Just learning how to manipulate slides and offensive linemen’s shoulders, using my hands and length more. You know, rushing, keeping my eyes on my rush man. Little things like that that a defensive lineman has to know."
That Lawrence was trusted to rush the passer speaks to the work he put in and the faith Martindale has in him. And Lawrence, who was voted a team captain last year, embraces the leadership responsibilities.
"You know, I put it on myself to help guys line up or get the strength call, the kind of things I do for myself and everybody," he said.
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