Dominant Season Snubbed, Had 5-star’s Sent Off Season…
Giants defender had a stellar season, but he was not selected for the Pro Bowl…
Dexter Lawrence, the star defensive tackle for the New York Giants, is emerging as one of the league’s most formidable interior defenders. In the Pro Bowl voting, he is not ranked in the top 10 despite his outstanding season-long play.
Dexter Lawrence is having another dominant season
Lawrence made his first-ever Pro Bowl selection last season, which was a well-deserved honor given his exceptional 2022 campaign performance. He was able to negotiate a lucrative four-year, $90 million contract thanks to his outstanding efforts.
In 2023, Lawrence is continuing his incredible form and having yet another strong season. He is the best interior defender in Pro Football Focus, ranking 92.8 overall, higher than both Aaron Donald (90.2) of the Los Angeles Rams and Quinnen Williams (90.8) of the New York Jets. Strong performance in run defense (87.5) and pass rush (92.5) supports this grade, demonstrating his adaptability and efficiency in various areas of the game.
The stats speak for themselves: in 333 pass-rushing snaps, Lawrence has amassed 53 total pressures, including five sacks, and 11 quarterback hits, demonstrating his ability to truly ruin games. In addition, he ranks third among interior defenders with 32 tackles that resulted in a defensive stop.
It is surprising that Lawrence did not rank in the top 10 Pro Bowl ballots despite his exceptional contributions. Fans still have time to change this, though, as they can vote until Christmas Day. Without a doubt, Lawrence deserves the fans’ support and acknowledgement.
Giants currently have three players within the top 10 of voting at their respective positions
Although Lawrence may not be in the top 10, the Giants currently have three players who achieved enough votes to place them in the top 10 at their respective positions.
Linebacker Bobby Okereke is currently second in the NFC and fifth overall in the polls. Despite playing through a broken rib, a broken left pinky finger, and an injured hip, the 27-year-old has been a constant bright spot on the Giants’ defense and is still among the most dominant defenders on the field. With 113 tackles, he leads the Giants at the moment. He also has two interceptions, four forced fumbles, eight passes defensed, two quarterback hits, and nine tackles for loss.
Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux is currently fifth overall in votes and third in the NFC. He is currently having a breakout sophomore season. The former fifth-overall pick leads the team with 11 sacks and is the first player under Wink Martindale to reach double-digit sacks within a single season. The 22-year-old has accumulated 85 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 13 quarterback hits, and 26 pressures.
Voters rank punter Jamie Gillan first in the NFC and third overall. This season, the Scottish Hammer has already been forced to punt 72 times for the Giants, averaging 46.7 yards per punt. His new career average of 43.3 net yards per punt is 3.5 yards better than his old one of 39.8 yards.