For the second consecutive season, peers of New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence have ranked him among the NFL’s very best players.
It was revealed on Tuesday night that Lawrence had climbed four spots to claim the 24th overall place on the list of Top 100 Players of 2024.
24. Dexter Lawrence#NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/T7MMAzVOIv
— NFL (@NFL) July 31, 2024
Lawrence remains a constant on the defensive line for a Giants squad still looking to find consistency. The numbers don’t initially jump off the page — Lawrence had 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections in 2023 — but he was nonetheless a dominant force in the trenches. Lawrence’s 92.9 was the highest overall PFF grade for any interior defensive lineman, as was his 92.6 pass-rush grade. His run defense graded out at 89.5, third among his peers.
Following the retirement of Aaron Donald this offseason, many began to argue that Lawrence had taken over as the league’s top interior defensive lineman. Others believe he had already eclipsed Donald anyway.
“I’ve just got to keep working, working on my weaknesses and getting better with my strengths. It took me by surprise honestly. Look, 10 years is a long time, but you know you expect more things like that, but he left the game on top. A lot of respect to him to what he brought. There probably won’t be another one of him. A lot of respect,” Lawrence said of Donald during the spring.
With the addition of linebacker Brian Burns and the continued development of linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, Lawrence could soar to even higher heights in 2024 and find himself cracking the top 10 when players vote on the top 100 next year.
