The man was virtually unstoppable for the NY Giants this past campaign. We're of course talking about Dexter Lawrence, who took home Second Team All-Pro honors once again for the G-Men in 2023. He was a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen to deal with.
With the campaign all wrapped up in the NFL, kudos continue to roll in for Sexy Dexy. Recently, Pro Football Focus released its final grades per position and it was no surprise to see Lawrence was No. 1 on the list for interior defenders. Lawrence was at a 93.1 for the year, beating out Aaron Donald (91.0).
The highest-graded interior defenders from the entire 2023 season pic.twitter.com/G7X4rcfqqj
— PFF (@PFF) February 15, 2024
Dexter Lawrence was the highest-graded interior defender by PFF
It's not a surprise to see Lawrence on top over Donald, Quinnen Williams, Derrick Brown, Chris Jones and Jalen Carter. No. 97 was an absolute beast in the trenches for former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. Despite his massive frame, Lawrence was able to fly into the backfield with consistency.
On the season, the veteran nose tackle posted 53 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections. Those stats may not make it seem like he was a superstar player, but when watching the film, it's easy to see just how incredible he was for the NFC East side.
Lawrence was somehow even better than he was last year - he recorded 68 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2022, but the stats don't tell the entire story here. Prior to the 2023 campaign, Lawrence put the pen to paper on a four-year extension worth $90 million.
He has proven to be worth every penny for the Giants. New York is coming off its rough 6-11 campaign, but plenty of changes are on the way in the coming months. The hope is Brian Daboll and NY can get back to the postseason in '24. Luckily, the foundation is there for this team to showcase a major improvement next fall and Lawrence will obviously play a big role in things. On and off the field, he is a treat to watch.