New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence is having an utterly dominant 2023 season. Coming off a stellar 2022 season that earned Lawrence his first All-Pro Team selection and a massive contract extension, Lawrence is continuing to play at an elite level despite dealing with injuries.
Lawrence was absent from the lineup in Week 12 as he nursed a hamstring injury. Taking his time to recover over the bye week in Week 13, Lawrence returned to the field for Big Blue’s primetime matchup with the Packers in Week 14.
However, his hamstring was clearly still bothering him as Lawrence played on a snap count on Monday night. Despite the limited playing time, Lawrence turned in another dominant performance, continuing to establish himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
- Giants placing star pass-rusher on injured reserve with wrist injury
- Giants sign veteran punter amidst Jamie Gillan injury
- Giants pass-rusher named top trade candidate at the deadline
Dexter Lawrence dominates on snap count in Giants Week 14 win
Lawrence played just 29 of the Giants’ 68 total defensive snaps on Monday night. He was kept on the sideline for a number of drives as the coaching staff played it cautious with Lawrence coming off a hamstring injury.
But Big Sexy Dexy made the most of every single one of those 29 snaps. He posted six pressures, four hurries, one sack, two tackles, and two run stops in the matchup with a team-high 91.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade. Limited playing time cannot limit Lawrence’s impact on a football game.
Lawrence is PFF’s highest-graded interior defensive lineman in the NFL this season with a 93.2 overall grade. He’s been excellent all season long, racking up 44 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 59 total pressures in the campaign.
He may not be receiving an abundance of Pro Bowl votes this year, but there is a strong chance that Lawrence will once again be selected to an All-Pro Team this season. He has been the Giants’ best player this season and, had his team won a few more games at the beginning of the season, Lawrence would be making a Defensive Player of the Year campaign.