Number 97 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 97 days away from the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders. To count down the days until then, we look at the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Giants.

Who Wore 97 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

LB Warren Thompson (1987), DE Robert Harris (1995-99), DT Cornelius Griffin (2000-03), DL Kendrick Allen (2005-05), DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka (2006-08), LB Clint Sintim (2009), DT Linval Joseph (2010-13), LB Terrell Manning (2014), LB Dan Fox (2014), DT Louis Nix (2015), DT Montori Hughes (2016), DE Devin Taylor (2017), DE Josh Mauro (2018), NT Dexter Lawrence II (2019-present)   

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

While many good players have graced the New York Giants No. 97 jersey, such as linebacker/defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and defensive lineman Linval Joseph, the best player to don the jersey number in franchise history is Dexter Lawrence II.

The Giants selected Lawrence in the first round (No. 17 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants used the extra first-round pick in the 2019 draft, which was acquired in the trade that shipped fan-favorite Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns.

Lawrence, who is on a pace toward a future spot in the team’s ring of honor, showed flashes in his rookie season, recording 38 tackles (24 solo), 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, three tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits, leading to NFL All-Rookie Team honors.

He would steadily improve for the next two seasons before becoming one of the premier nose tackles in football. Lawrence recorded 12 sacks, 121 total tackles, 14 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles, and five pass deflections in 32 games from 2022-23.