Dexter Lawrence selected by Giants

Former Clemson defensive lineman was selected by the Giants with the 17th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.

Former Clemson defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was selected by the Giants with the 17th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.

Lawrence declared for the NFL Draft after completing his Clemson career with 162 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 43 quarterback pressures, five pass breakups, a caused fumble and three recovered fumbles in 1,541 snaps over 40 games (36 starts). A first-team All-American, Lawrence was also a three-time All-ACC selection.

According to the NFL, Lawrence is a, "Massive defensive tackle with the size, length, power and relative athleticism to play a variety of positions in either a 3-4 or 4-3 front. While Lawrence certainly has his share of flashes on tape, he's never really turned into the playmaker that many expected him to become after his freshman year. 

"However, many of the best defenses in the NFL have had interior linemen with the traits and power Lawrence possesses. While he has the ability to play in any scheme, he might be at his best as a read-and-react run-stuffer with the ability to stymie running games with his size and force"