Former Clemson Tigers Defensive Lineman Turned Into Elite NFL Pass Rusher

The former Clemson Tigers defensive lineman turned New York Giants draft pick has become of the NFL's best interior pass rushers.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) stumbles away from New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have produced a lot of defensive talent for the NFL in the past few years, but one player has stood above the rest as an elite talent.

Dexter Lawrence was the No. 17 overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft by the New York Giants, which meant large expectations were going to be thrown onto him immediately. Lawrence has already proven to be one of the best interior defenders in the league, but looks to have taken his game up another notch so far this season.

As Pro Football Focus released their updated pass rusher rankings heading into Week 4 of the season, the Giants star found himself at the No. 6 spot among both interior and EDGE defenders.

He wasn't a bad pass rusher in college, but few could have expected him to be just as good as he has been.

At 6-foot-4 and 342 pounds, run defense was always considered to be his calling card and biggest strength in the NFL.

Lawrence broke out onto the scene as a freshman with the Tigers back in 2016. He had seven sacks and 63 tackles, looking like one of the best defensive prospects of all time.

Unfortunately, though, he followed that up by two lackluster seasons when compared to that first one.

There was certainly hope that he could recapture that magic in the NFL, but most considered him to be a run-stuffer first.

"Has been unable to equal impressive production from freshman season. Average rush talent likely to limit draft value. Lacks looseness as rusher to find edges. Basic rush counters relatively ineffective," said his NFL.com draft profile when talking about his weaknesses. "More reliant upon size over technique at this stage. Gets caved by double teams when he doesn't sink his post. Inconsistent hand placement/quickness for early control at the point. Occasionally shortcuts flow to the ball causing him to lose his fit."

That actually ended up being the cade for the first few seasons of his career, but he really broke out in the final year of his rookie contract.

He made his first Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro second team as he racked up a career-high 7.5 sacks up the middle.

The Clemson product matched those same accolades with a little bit production a year later.

So far in 2024, the 26-year-old looks like he could smash his career bests with a productive start to the season. He has three sacks so far, bringing down follow Tigers alum Deshaun Watson twice.

He should be a lock for another Pro Browl and could potentailly challenge for his first All-Pro First Team nod.