NFL personnel director thinks Giants’ Lawrence ought to’ve received main award
The 2024 New York Giants fell to 2-10 on the season the identical day that star defensive sort out Dexter Lawrence II went down with what grew to become a season-ending elbow harm.
Whereas Lawrence made simply 12 begins for what grew to become a 3-14 membership, league executives, coaches and scouts surveyed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler for a bit revealed on Tuesday ranked Lawrence as one of the best defensive sort out within the NFL this summer season.
“I believed he ought to have been [Defensive Player of the Year] with the season he had,” one unnamed NFL personnel director stated about Lawrence whereas talking with Fowler. “He is a real zero-technique nostril who can occupy doubles and neutralize the run sport. I feel he took his move rush to a unique stage, and I feel he would have had double-digit sacks if [Brian Burns] and [Kayvon Thibodeaux] stayed wholesome. A real three-down sport wrecker who wants consideration each single snap.”
Burns made 17 begins throughout his first season with the Giants however handled groin, ankle and Achilles points all through the marketing campaign. Thibodeaux began 12 contests and missed time this previous fall after he wanted surgical procedure to restore a wrist harm.
As for Lawrence, he recorded 9 sacks throughout his 12 video games throughout what could have been probably the most spectacular run, to this point, of his profession. Three of these quarterback takedowns occurred in New York’s Week 5 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Lawrence earned Professional Bowl nods for every of the previous three seasons however was not a finalist for the 2024 Related Press NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr Award received by Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. The Giants signed Lawrence, a 2019 first-round draft selection, to a four-year, $90M extension within the spring of 2023.
“Lawrence racked up quarterback takedowns whereas going through a 74.5% double-team fee, larger than some other inside lineman,” Fowler added in Tuesday’s article.
The Giants made edge-rusher Abdul Carter the third general selection of this yr’s draft with the hope that having him, Burns, Thibodeaux and Lawrence on the sector suddenly will make issues tough for opposing quarterbacks this fall. If all 4 males keep wholesome by way of early January, Lawrence may take pleasure in his finest general season and probably assist the Giants change into one of many marketing campaign’s constructive surprises.
