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East Rutherford, NJ -- June 5, 2025 -- Linebackers, , Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter as the New York Giants players participate in their 2025 OTAÕs at the Quest Diagnostic Giants Training Center in East Rutherford. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NY Giants Pass Rush Named Biggest Reason for Optimism in 2025

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Evan Orris | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The New York Giants have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL this season and could struggle. However, Pro Football Focus believes that the Giants’ promising pass rush could keep them afloat.

The Giants' defensive line ranked seventh in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade with a 76.3 grade and 45 sacks and third with 96 tackles for losses. They also finished in the top 10 in pass-rush win rate (41%) and 13th in run-stop win rate (32%)

Last season, the defensive line also saw injuries to key players. Nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II only appeared in nine games but still managed to lead the team with nine sacks.

Additionally, 2022 first-round draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, upon his return from a five-game absence due to injury, formed an elite pass-rush duo with Brian Burns, the pair combining for 41 of the team's 79 pressures (51.9%) from Week 12 onward.

Burns finished the season tied for third with Dallas defender Micah Parsons in edge pass-rush win rate, while Thibodeaux finished the season ranked 16th.

The Giants’ defensive line is expected to be even better and could be one of the best in the NFL after general manager Joe Schoen made it a focal point to improve the unit this offseason.

Schoen added Roy Robertson-Harris, Chauncey Golston, and Jeremiah Ledbetter in free agency. Robertson-Harris and Ledbetter are expected to be rotational pieces on the interior of the line, and Golston, a Swiss army knife who could play with his hand in the dirt or standing up.

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In 13 starts last season, Golston produced career-highs in sacks, total tackles, and tackles for losses. He also has experience on the interior, as he played most of 2023 as a defensive tackle. That season, his Pass Rush Win Rate (PRWR) ranked 7th of 129 defensive tackles.

Schoen put the finishing touches on the defensive line by selecting potential generational prospect Abdul Carter, No. 3 overall, and Darius Alexander in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Carter excels at getting to the quarterback. Last season, he recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss with two forced fumbles and a 93.2 pass-rush grade, which placed him second nationally amongst EDGE rushers.

He also had a pass rush win rate of 22.6%, which put him in the 99th percentile of college EDGE rushers.

Alexander was an under-the-radar prospect coming out of Toledo. Last season, he recorded a 12.9% pass-rush win rate, which placed him in the 99th percentile among defensive linemen with 300+ snaps in the FBS.

Alexander and Lawrence can also be extremely effective against the rush together. The 25-year-old Senior finished with a 90.3 run defense grade, a 7.9% run-stop rate, and 27 run stops.

There are also a handful of players from last season that have gotten lost in the shuffle. Elijah Chatman, D.J. Davidson, Jordan Riley, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches could make the roster and make contributions when necessary.

The Giants have a lot of puzzle pieces to put together. They can rotate players along the line to see where they fit best in defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's system. The roster also has the depth to keep players fresh for passing downs and in case of injuries.