New York Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II: The Good, the Great, and the Ugly

Coach Gene Clemons breaks down defensive lineman Dexter Lawerence's film from last season.

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Jul 25, 2022 1:42 PM EDT

In this story:

The Giants picked up the fifth-year option on defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II after playing 48 games over his first three seasons. He's been a very reliable asset on the defensive line during his tenure, only missing one game.

But that does not necessarily mean the big man has reached the potential many believed he would when New York took him with the 17th overall pick in 2019.

He has primarily played as a 30-front defensive end. He has not spent much time as a true interior tackle, so it will be interesting to see what defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has planned for him in this new defense.

Lawrence is only 24 years old, so the sky's the limit for what he could become. What we have seen so far in his career is a defensive lineman that knows his role and executes his assignment well. What we have not seen consistently is the explosive disruptor and playmaker that he was at Clemson.

With his option year picked up, he will have two seasons in this defense to show the dynamics needed for him to become another in a long line of Giants defensive line greats. Let's check out Lawrence's good, the great, and the ugly in 2021.

More Good, Great, and Ugly Analyses:

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The Good: One-on-One Block Destruction

It is practically impossible to block Lawrence effectively one-on-one. He is so strong and explosive that he almost always resets the line of scrimmage when he only faces one blocker.

He has a great punch and uses his hands to stun blocks and stop their initial push. His explosiveness allows him to keep his momentum going forward, which makes ball carriers adjust their course and quarterbacks change their platform.

If he gets a blocker on his heels, he can drive them back into a quarterback's lap or destroy a cutback lane for a running back.

The first clip illustrates how devastating he can be when he explodes.

He deposits the Minnesota Vikings guard on the lap of the quarterback.

In the next two clips against the Eagles and Buccaneers, he uses that bull rush to get the blocker stumbling and then works off their shoulder as he powers past them to get pressure in the face of the quarterback.

They show how awesome he can be when he gets left to battle an offensive lineman one-on-one.

The Great: Point of Attack/Gap Protection

Lawrence's best quality is his ability to protect his gap, especially at the point of attack. Because he faces a fair amount of double teams designed to get him out of his lane, his ability to anchor down or explode to disrupt the double is critical to success against the run.

Because he is so stout, he doesn't allow either lineman to climb to the second level to block a linebacker. If they do leave Lawrence, he can usually make the play.

Defensive linemen who demand doubles and still get the best of them are extremely valuable. They usually demand that double in the run and pass game, so pass rushers who play alongside Lawrence usually have a single blocker.

The first clip shows him destroying a double team against the Patriots.

The second clip shows him avoiding getting reached by the Washington Commanders blocker on an outside run and chasing down the running back.

The third clip shows him anchor down against a Buccaneers guard on the strong side, which makes the back cut up, then folds inside to make a tackle on the rusher.

The Ugly: Pass Rushing

For all of the positive things he does in the run game, Lawrence has not been a big factor in the defensive pass rush. The position that he plays and the scheme in which he plays it has not afforded him a lot of free rushes at the quarterback, but also, for as strong and explosive as he is, he has not created those for himself.

He also has not won many one-on-one opportunities. Even when he gets pressure, he has not been able to be the one standing over the sacked quarterback. He does not always do a good job of detaching from offensive linemen.

Because he does not have a great speed rush, most of his chances come via engagement with the offensive linemen, which gives the pass protector the advantage.

When he can use his bull rush to get linemen on their heels, he can be a factor as a pass rusher. We have seen evidence of that in previous clips, but in the clips shown here, if he does not get the blocker on his heels, he cannot get any immediate pressure and needs good coverage to come into play.

Elite-level pass rushers don't need the quarterback to hold the ball for an extended time to get pressure.

Final Thoughts

Lawrence should be someone who is in the long-term plans for this team. However, fans and front office executives fall in love with sacks as a measurement of defensive line excellence. That is why a player like Leonard Williams has been underappreciated in New York.

The contributions of both players can't always be traced to personal sack numbers but rather to the numbers of those that operate around them. They don't always make the tackle, but they eat up blocks that make it possible for others to make the tackle.

Lawrence is a great piece in a collective, and he still has the opportunity to become a disruptive force, although that may come by playing more on the interior defensive line in this new defense. We may discover that is where he should have been from the beginning.