Batman needed Robin. Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants needs a sidekick on the interior of the team’s defensive line. As wonderful a player as he has been, Lawrence and the Giants’ defense have missed Leonard Williams, traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the middle of the 2023 season.
A primary mission for head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen this offseason should be to find Lawrence a top-tier running mate in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line.
The Giants have drafted D.J. Davidson, Jordon Riley, and Darius Alexander during Schoen’s tenure as GM. They have signed free agents A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Justin Ellis, and Roy Robertson-Harris. None have been more than adequate rotational players.
Enter John Franklin-Myers.
Heading into his age 30 season, the 2018 fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams has 14.5 sacks for the Denver Broncos the past two seasons, and 34.0 in his seven-year career.
The graphic below shows Franklin-Myers impact as a pass rusher, even if calling him an edge is a stretch for the 6-foot-288-pounder.
Myers, who spent a year with the Rams, four with the New York Jets, and two with the Broncos, is considered by some to be the best interior defensive lineman headed to free agency.
The Athletic ranks Franklin-Myers No. 17 among free agents expected to be available and projects a three-year, $54 million contract. It says:
Franklin-Myers is an elite interior rusher with alignment versatility. He tied for ninth in pass-rush efficiency among interior defensive lineman with at least 250 pass-rush snaps. He has a blend of power and quick twitch. He uses violent hands to shed linemen with a go-to swim move, and he makes linemen look silly because he is so sudden. Franklin-Myers has an acute sense for when quarterbacks are trying to climb the pocket, and he can shut down scramble escape lanes through the A and B gaps.
Pro Football Focus projects a three-year, $45 million contract with $22.5 million guaranteed for Franklin-Myers.
Franklin-Myers has quietly been one of the anchors of Denver’s defensive success over the past two seasons, generating 95 total pressures prior to the AFC Championship Game. Dating back to 2020, his 300 total pressures rank 21st among all NFL defenders. One of the league’s more underrated defensive players, Franklin-Myers could turn that sustained production into a significant contract if he departs Denver.
Is Franklin-Myers a player you would like to see alongside Lawrence in 2026, Giants fans?
