Based on his early-season production, Lawrence seems to be very much in the conversation.
Dexter Lawrence has been an unstoppable force on the New York Giants defensive line this season.
While it is not very common for defensive tackles to win the sack title (only three have done it in the history of the NFL), it’s even more of a challenge for interior defensive linemen to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Sure, Aaron Donald made it look easy with his three Defensive Player of the Year Awards in a span of four seasons, but before Donald, a defensive lineman hadn’t won the award since 1999.
To put it into perspective: Lawrence was a 2-year-old at the time when Warren Sapp claimed the award for the 1999 season.
The question remains: Can Lawrence continue his elite production rate this season and eventually secure a Defensive Player of the Year Award?
Not only is Lawrence leading the league with nine sacks through seven games, but he’s also putting pressure on the quarterback while dealing with the most double-teams of any defensive player in the league.
Benjamin Solak of ESPN discussed Lawrence’s dominance this season, providing some mind-boggling stats to support just how good he’s been:
Lawrence has been the best pass rusher in football among players lined up over the center for a while. In 2022, he led the NFL in pressures when lined up over the center with 45; in 2023, he did it again with 39, which would have been second in 2022 (to himself). He’s on pace for only 29 this season, but that’s because the Giants’ star defensive tackle is getting double-teamed on a whopping 67% of his rushes between the guards. Altogether, Lawrence has been double-teamed on 63% of his pass rushes, which leads the league this season.
So to restate: Lawrence leads the NFL in two separate things: double-teams faced on pass rushes and total sacks. That’s absolutely bananas. I’m not even sure this is legal.
Dexter Lawrence has been double-teamed on 63.3% of his pass rushes this season, the highest rate faced by any player since at least 2018 (min. 100 pass rushes).
Lawrence currently leads the NFL in sacks (9).@Giants | #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/eimnjegPZc
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 21, 2024
In the franchise’s 100th season, Lawrence is on pace to put himself among elite Giants company as well. His nine sacks through seven games are the most by any Giant since Michael Strahan had 12.5 during his record-setting 2001 season. Only one other Giant has had more sacks through seven games (Leonard Marshall- 11.5 sacks during the 1985 season).
Most of Lawrence’s sacks (six of his nine total) have come over his previous three games. He’s the first Giant since Jason Pierre-Paul to record at least six sacks over a three-game span.
While it won’t be easy for Lawrence to win the sack title (given that defensive ends typically have an advantage in this area), there’s simply no defensive player in the NFL that is playing at the level that he’s currently playing at. If he continues to produce at this pace, he will be a top candidate for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, and his individual season will rank among the best ever in New York Giants history.
