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Giants Now: Media ranks Dexter Lawrence among league's top defensive tackles

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Media ranks Dexter Lawrence among league's top defensive tackles

The Giants' defensive line, led by 25-year-old Dexter Lawrence, is considered by some in the media to be one of the best in the league.

CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan recently ranked the top 10 defensive tackles in the NFL, where the Giants' Second-Team All-Pro was listed at No. 4.

"The arrival of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale seemed to do wonders for Lawrence as he notched career highs across the board with 7.5 sacks, 68 tackles, 28 quarterback hits and three pass breakups," wrote Sullivan. "All that helped him earn second-team All-Pro honors in 2022. Lawrence also was dominant in the Giants' win over the Vikings on Super Wild Card Weekend where he had a team-high four quarterback hits. Including playoffs, PFF had Lawrence accounting for 70 pressures on 577 pass-rushing snaps. And he's still only 25 years old."

Here is Sullivan's full ranking of the top 10 defensive tackles in the NFL:

  1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
  2. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
  3. Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
  4. Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
  5. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
  6. Cameron Hayward, Pittsburgh Steelers
  7. Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
  8. Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders
  9. Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
  10. D.J. Reader, Cincinnati Bengals

CBS Sports wasn't the only media outlet ranking Lawrence among the best at his position.

ESPN polled executives, coaches and scouts from across the NFL to find out their opinion of the top 10 defensive tackles for the 2023 season, which saw Lawrence come in at No. 6.

"Flat-out dominant run defender," an NFC executive told ESPN. "He can create for himself or others. Can overwhelm. If your center isn't a top-level guy, he will dominate him. Sack production isn't elite but he was better last year."

Lawrence finished second at the position in pressures last season, trailing only Kansas City's Chris Jones.

Here is ESPN's full ranking of the top 10 defensive tackles in the NFL:

  1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
  2. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
  3. Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
  4. Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
  5. Javon Hargrave, San Francisco 49ers
  6. Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
  7. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
  8. Daron Payne, Washington Commanders
  9. Cameron Hayward, Pittsburgh Steelers
  10. Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders

Additionally, both the CBS Sports ranking and the ESPN poll saw fellow Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams land in the honorable mentions section.

Williams missed time due to injury for the first time in his eight-year career last season. In the 12 games he did play, the veteran lineman registered 45 tackles (26 solo), 2.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a career-best two fumble recoveries. Across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Williams did not miss a game while recording 18 total sacks and 44 quarterback hits.

View photos of defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence's career with the Giants.

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