This Giants Player Was Picked By NFL.com to Make His First Pro Bowl

Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II might not have the glamorous stats like most Pro Bowlers carry, but NFL.com's Marc Sessler believes Lawrence is on the cusp of earning his first Pro Bowl.

Despite a 6-10 season last year, the New York Giants still managed to have two first-time Pro Bowl players in cornerback James Bradberry and tight end Evan Engram.

This year, if NFL.com's Marc Sessler is correct with his forecast, the Giants could have yet another first-time Pro Bowl player: third-year defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II.

Writes Sessler of Lawrence:

The G-Men quietly allowed the ninth-fewest points league-wide, a feat helped by a gentleman who refers to himself as

"Sexy Dexy."

Brute strength, quick feet, and a flair for punishing hits make up Lawrence's game. 

Check out his handiwork [below] against a flock of beguiled interior linemen and would-be blockers. This is no wilting flower but instead a pile of bricks dropping 90 mph off a Gotham rooftop. Chalk up this first-round pick as a win for oft-maligned general manager Dave Gettleman.

Just watch 97. Absurd POA strength. Wins hands almost without fail. pic.twitter.com/buZ659mUTi

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) June 29, 2021

Lawrence is just the latest in a growing line of defensive linemen drafted and developed by the Giants, and as Sessler points out, Lawrence has gotten better in each of his first two seasons.

Last year he tied with OLB Kyler Fackrell for second on the team in sacks (4.0) and second on the team with Fackrell and Dalvin Tomlinson in quarterback hits (10).

The good news is that Lawrence's numbers in those two categories were up from his rookie campaign (2.5 sacks, 9 QB Hits). He also doubled his tackles for loss from three as a rookie to six last year.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Pro Bowl voting, many tend to focus on the stats rather than the work done in the scrum, where Lawrence does such a solid job at pushing the pocket to create opportunities for his teammates.

• RELATED: DL Dexter Lawrence: The Good, the Great and the Ugly

For Lawrence to potentially have a chance at a Pro Bowl berth, he would almost certainly have to improve finishing his pass rushes.

So far, Lawrence has been a best-kept secret--so well hidden in fact that in a recent poll of NFL executives, coaches, and players conducted by ESPN to compile a list of the league's top NFL interior defensive linemen, Lawrence not only didn't make the list, but he also didn't appear to receive any votes.

(Lawrence's teammate, Leonard Williams, ranked seventh on the list, by the way.)

The good news is that in his review of Lawrence's film, our Nick Falato sees some upside in the pass rushing department.

Lawrence is quick, powerful, and intelligent. At the 4i-technique, he can burst upfield when necessary, read/react to the blocking patterns when asked, and then make the correct decision based on the context of the offensive play. Having a player of that size on the inside shoulder of the strong side tackle, with an outside linebacker and a 2i/1-technique poses blocking problems upfront for opposing rushing attacks.

Lawrence is still a player who is coming into his own in the NFL and who has a high ceiling. At the same time, he's come a long way from being just another big-bodied run stuffer. He has gradually transformed into an all-around solid interior defensive lineman for the Giants, who will continue to get better. 

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