New York Giants Training Camp Preview - DL Dexter Lawrence

The sky is the limit for third-year defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jun 26, 2021 10:35 AM EDT

The Giants' talented 23-year-old mountain of a man in the middle played all 16 games for the second year in a row (15 starts), increased his sack total from 2.5 to 4.0, his tackle total from 38 to 53, and his tackles-for-loss from three to six.

A staple in the Giants defensive front, Lawrence still has room to grow, especially as a pass rusher.

What He Brings

When it comes to the defensive tackle position, the New York Giants have long stuck to a script regarding what they look for in a defensive tackle.

Based on their history, they have favored a big-bodied power player rather than an “undersized” defensive tackle specializing in knifing into the backfield. And with the Giants "type" of defensive tackle, they also like guys with “nose tackle” size and experience, but better than expected movement skills for that position.

Lawrence is the latest in a long line of defensive tackles, both drafted and signed by the Giants, who fit the prototype.

So, what does Lawrence bring to the Giants defense?

Size and power. Lawrence is a sizable human being and a massively powerful one at that. He also has surprising athleticism for a player his size, but his calling card is his large frame and strength.

At 6'4" and 342 pounds, Lawrence has rare size in a league that is increasingly trending toward smaller, lighter, faster players at almost every position, including at defensive tackle.

While Lawrence's size screams nose tackle, the Giants, much like the case at Clemson, took advantage of Lawrence's movement skills and lined him up all over their defense in various sub-packages, and more often than not, he delivered.

His primary job is to take on blockers, stay on his feet, and muck up space between the tackles.

He played with consistent power, athleticism, and toughness. Though stout at the point of attack, Lawrence made most of his plays by playing off of blocks which his unusually light feet for a man his size (6-foot-4, 342 pounds) allowed him to do.

RELATED: Dexter Lawrence II: The Good, the Great and the Ugly

Lawrence’s run defense is his strength. While there were signs of improvement in the pass rush, there's another level that awaits that part of his game beyond simply pushing to collapse the middle of the pocket with power and playing middle contain.

Let's talk a little bit more about Lawrence's power. Simply put, it makes him a one-on-one matchup nightmare for offensive linemen. Lawrence drives blockers into the backfield, which prevents passers from stepping into the pocket. He also has become consistent in being able to force running backs to try and bounce inside runs.

So long as Lawrence is playing with leverage and technique, he'll likely win more of his one-on-ones than not. It's when he pops up off the ball and lets his hips and pads rise that he runs into trouble as he loses his anchor and is too easily pushed back off the point of attack.

Fortunately, that doesn’t happen often, and it should happen less as he continues to grow as a player.

As a pass rusher, Lawrence has some ability; what he hasn't been able to do just yet with any consistency is finish his pressures off into sacks. Developing a go-to move on the pass rush besides a bull-rush should help him with that.

Lawrence was also effective as the point man on stunts, his initial hit creating space for his stunt partner to exploit on numerous occasions.

Overall, Lawrence is a great athlete for his size and hustles whenever he is on the field. Having him play about 60% of the snaps is a good rate for him as it allows him to maintain a steady production flow without tiring out.

Overall, Lawrence is as solid as they come and still has plenty of room to grow.