The New York Giants roster is still taking shape and may be a few years away from where general manager Joe Schoen wants it to be, but there are some obvious strengths.
One of those is their defensive line, which Pro Football Focus ranks as the ninth-best in the NFL.
No player improved as much as interior defender Dexter Lawrence did in 2022, ending the campaign as the second-highest-graded player at his position (91.6).
Lawrence and Leonard Williams form arguably the best interior defender duo in the NFL. This defensive line could enter the next tier if either of their young edge defenders — Kayvon Thibodeaux or Azeez Ojulari — make a leap in 2023.
Big Blue’s defensive front is highlighted by the stellar play from the defensive tackles. The team had the second and 19th-best interior defenders according to PFF in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
Lawrence was a monster for New York as he had by far the best season of his career in 2023 recording 35 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. That earned him Second-Team All-Pro recognition and a 91.6 PFF grade. Williams has also been a great constant for New York recording 20.5 sacks over the past three seasons.
On the edge, the Giants have Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had a promising rookie season where he recorded 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a whopping 40 pressures. His sack conversion rate was low but he was constantly causing trouble which explains his high-pressure rate and 33 solo tackles (six for a loss). Expect to see the sack number go up for the 2023 first-round pick, especially with a full year of training under his belt.
On the other side, New York has Azeez Ojulari, who was riddled with injuries in 2022 forcing him to appear in just seven games. Despite missing so much time, Ojulari still recorded 5.5 sacks to add to his 8.0 from the year before.
If Ojulari can stay healthy in 2023, New York will have a scary front that will be even better than last season when you account for the signings of A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches.
