The New York Giants’ defensive line is expected to be their pride and joy this season. General manager Joe Schoen has worked diligently over the past two years to build up the unit with elite and high-potential talents.
The top dog among the Giants’ defensive linemen is two-time second-team All-Pro Dexter Lawrence. The 340-pound defensive tackle has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL and recently received praise from Pro Football Focus as one of the best players in the league.
PFF ranks Dexter Lawrence just outside the top 10 best players in the NFL
PFF recently counted down its list of the top 50 best players in the NFL heading into the 2024 season. Lawrence was the Giants’ highest-ranking player on the list, landing in at No. 11:
“Dexter Lawrence is rewriting what was thought to be possible at the nose tackle position,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Over the past two seasons, his resume includes 81 quarterback pressures when lining up either head-up over the center or shaded to either side of the center. The next-closest player has 16. Lawrence disrupts the game from a true nose-tackle alignment better than any player PFF has seen over the past 18 seasons. He is a truly unique athlete who is only getting better.”
The Giants’ defense has transformed thanks to the presence of Lawrence in the middle of their defensive line. His ability to take two or three blockers out of a play kills rushing attacks and opens up pass-rushing opportunities for his teammates.
Lawrence’s unique ability to generate pressure from the nose tackle position makes him one of the most valuable defensive players in the NFL. He’s racked up 21 career sacks and 28 career tackles for loss through five seasons and has been to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two campaigns. Lawrence deserves the recognition he has received for being one of the league’s most dominant and disruptive defenders.
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Lawrence should lead an elite Giants defensive line in 2024
Lawrence will be joined by a pair of explosive pass-rushers on each of his shoulders this season. Kayvon Thibodeaux is returning for his third season in the NFL, coming off a career year in 2023. The former 2022 first-round pick racked up 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles last season as he began to realize the potential that made him a top-five draft pick two years ago.
Thibodeaux will have an opportunity to increase his production even further this season thanks to who will be lining up on the opposite side of the line from him. The Giants executed a blockbuster trade this offseason to bring in Pro Bowl pass-rusher Brian Burns. The addition of Burns should take pressure off of Thibodeaux’s shoulders and open up more one-on-one pass-rushing opportunities for the third-year edge rusher.
Meanwhile, Burns will step into the Giants’ defense and be their biggest matchup nightmare outside of Lawrence. The 26-year-old edge rusher has had a prolific start to his NFL career, totaling 46 career sacks and being named to two Pro Bowls through his first six seasons.
The pass-rushing trio of Thibodeaux-Lawrence-Burns will be a handful for opposing offenses to handle. Lawrence should soak double teams — even triple teams — from the interior of opposing offensive lines, opening up prime chances for Thibodeaux and Burns to take advantage of against the offensive tackles. If this unit stays healthy and reaches its potential, the Giants should have one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing defensive lines in 2024.
