After putting together the best season of his career in 2024, expectations for Dexter Lawrence's seventh season were sky-high. After all, the 28-year-old set a new career high in sacks (9.0) and earned his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The funny thing about expectations is... they're unpredictable. Lawrence would go on to have the worst statistical season of his career in 2025. And it wasn't even close. You'd think that with the inclusion of rookie linebacker Abdul Carter, life would get easier for Lawrence with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux also along the front seven, but you'd be wrong.
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All that edge talent couldn’t mask the glaring -- and literal -- hole in the Giants' defense right next to Sexy Dexy in the interior. Without a reliable sidekick, the former Clemson star faced double teams religiously, truly hampering his ability to wreak havoc and produce like he usually does.
Fortunately, there's a $15 million fix waiting for Dex and the boys in free agency, and his name is John Franklin-Myers.
John Franklin-Myers could finally unlock Dexter Lawrence again
Franklin-Myers isn't the biggest interior presence (6-foot-4, 288 pounds), but that doesn't get in the way of him making an impact, especially in the run game... which just so happens to be Big Blue's Achilles Heel seemingly every season.
Pro Football Focus has the 29-year-old graded as the 25th-best run stopper (65.4) out of 134 eligible defensive linemen. Not to be outdone, his pass-rushing numbers have been equally as impressive, if not more so. He's recorded seven-plus sacks in each of the previous two seasons with the Denver Broncos.
That type of positional versatility will make life easier for New York's next defensive coordinator, but more importantly, for Lawrence.
Spotrac sees the 2018 fourth-rounder inking a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason, for an incredibly reasonable $7.5 million per season. It'll be tougher if his number rises, as the Giants aren't exactly flush with cash entering free agency. They sit around $15 million in cap space before any restructures, cuts, or trades.
They'll likely want to extend at least two of the three of their own free agents, who'll be looking to cash in on successful seasons -- Wan'Dale Robinson, Cor'Dale Flott, and Jermaine Eluemunor.
If the Giants want this uber-talented front seven to actually play like it, bringing in a sidekick for their 6-foot-4, 340-pound All-Pro-level defensive leader is a great start, and Franklin-Myers might just be the best bang for their buck this upcoming cycle. It's time to stop wasting Sexy Dexy's talents.