If you see something, say something. New York Giants fans saw something... and we’re practically forced to say something. Out of all the terrible takes and low-hanging fruit that come Big Blue’s way, this might take the cake.
Dexter Lawrence is widely considered the best defensive tackle in all of football. The 6-foot-4, 340-pound mammoth has always been an exceptional run defender, but it’s been his improved pass-rushing ability over the years that’s vaulted him into the elite tier. He’s arguably the best pass-rushing interior lineman in the league.
So you'd imagine the shock and horror that ran down fans' spines when ESPN's Bill Barnwell released his list of all players worth a first-round pick or more for every team and intentionally omitted Sexy Dexy because teams "might need to see more consistent pass-rush production to deal a first-rounder."
Oh, Bill. You hate to see it, but you’ve left us no other choice but to confront this nonsensical take.
ESPN's Dexter Lawrence trade analysis falls flat on its face
Strictly numbers speaking, the 27-year-old had his best sack-total season of his career (nine). He did so in 12 games played, missing the last five due to a dislocated elbow. Before he went down, Pro Football Focus had his pass-rushing grade at 81.4, ranking eighth among all DTs.
And for the more visual learners, to avoid repeating numbers, NFL analyst Sam Monson summed up the deserved outrage in one post:
LOL
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) July 30, 2025
Pressures when lined up at NT over the last 2 years:
Dexter Lawrence: 56
Anybody else: 16 or fewer.
Pass-rush win rate of 16% AT NOSE TACKLE which is a top 5 mark among all DTs lining up anywhere.
Dude's one of the best pass-rushers in the game. https://t.co/6dEvbTDhaS
Every number and advanced metric backs up Lawrence as one of the league’s top pass-rushing tackles. The idea that teams haven’t seen enough from him just doesn’t hold up.
Barnwell’s analysis looked bad without context. But after looking over the data, it just comes off as lazy.
Listen, if Barnwell doesn’t think the three-time Pro Bowler is worth a first-round pick, that’s fine. He’s entitled to his opinion. But when the reasoning doesn’t match the reality, it’s fair game for criticism.
Lawrence is coming off arguably his most impressive season to date. The elbow injury was a relatively minor setback, and all signs point to a full recovery and a Week 1 start. To show Lawrence he’s their guy, they moved some money around and tossed him $3 million in incentive bonuses for 2025, and gave him a potential long-term running mate with rookie Darius Alexander.
Do you think Schoen would move Lawrence for anything less than a first-round pick? That’s crazy.
It’s clear the Giants understand his value and what he brings to an NFL team. Maybe he can improve on his pass-rushing consistency. And it’s outlandish takes like these that might just spark the motivation to do so.