There is not a lot to get excited about when discussing the New York Giants. Last season’s Cinderella has turned back into a pumpkin as everything that went right for the team during a successful 2022 campaign has gone wrong this year.
Through five weeks of the season, the Giants are 1-4, and lucky to even have that win. They are an incredible offensive second half against the Arizona Cardinals from being the only winless team in the NFL along with the Carolina Panthers.
New York is still without an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game, as the pick-six by Jason Pinnock in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins was their first touchdown in the first half all season. The team’s offensive line is easily the worst currently in the NFL and setting records for ineptitude.
In the trenches on the other side of the ball is where the Giants’ only bright spot resides. That would be defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who has turned himself into one of the best players in the NFL at his position.
Lawrence is currently second among interior defensive linemen in the NFL with an overall PFF grade of 91.2. That trails only Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Carter, who has recorded a 91.8 overall grade.
However, what sticks out between those two, and with every other interior defensive linemen in the NFL with Lawrence, is that he gets the job done in every facet of the game. Lawrence has recorded an elite run-defense and pass-rushing grade, coming in at 87.2 and 88.8, respectively.
The run-defense grade is first in the NFL, while the pass-rushing is fifth. Not only is he elite in both areas, but he is also the only interior defensive lineman in the league to have recorded grades of 80+ in both categories.
Maurice Hurst of the Cleveland Browns is the only other player to get close, as he has a run-defense grade of 82.0 and a pass-rushing grade of 79.1. However, he has played only 82 snaps to this point as a situational player. Lawrence has been on the field for 215 total snaps, 90 as a run defender and 124 rushing the passer.
The Giants signed him to a lucrative four-year, $90 million extension this offseason that he has certainly lived up to thus far. Cementing himself as arguably the best defensive tackle in the NFL currently, Lawrence has been worth every penny in what has been a disappointing season through five weeks.
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