Dexter Lawrence II Aims to Become Pass-Rush Force

Dexter Lawerence II is looking to expand his contributions to the Giants' pass rush this season. This defensive system should provide him with the opportunity to do just that.

New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II is a man on a mission.

The team's "other" first-round draft pick in 2019--he was chosen No. 17 overall--projects as a key part of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale's defense, and with good reason. The 6-foot-4, 242-pound Lawrence is poised to team up with Leonard Williams on the Giants' defensive line, where they hope to become a nuisance to opposing quarterbacks.

“He’s looked good,” said the Giants head coach on Tuesday following the team’s second fully padded practice session. “He’s powerful. He came in in shape. He’s a very smart player. I’ve been very impressed in the defensive meetings as he sits down and (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) goes through the defense.”

Lawrence, who had the option year in his rookie deal picked up by the team, has been a solid addition to the roster. He's yet to miss a game due to injury and has been a brick wall against the run. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence has logged 102 career tackles and 89 stops.

What Lawrence hasn't quite done just yet is develop into a consistent pass rusher. Although credited with 102 career pressures by PFF, he has just nine sacks, four of which came during the 2020 season.

The Giants would like to see Lawrence, who is extremely athletic for a man of his physical stature, further develop that part of his game.

Under Martindale’s defensive system that hails from his Baltimore days, one of the most prioritized aspects is the use of heavy blitzes and pass rushes to pressure the opposing quarterback. The packages Martindale has thrown out in the past demand participation from all different areas of the defense, and certainly, that includes the front line.

In the past three seasons, Lawrence has occasionally been used as a penetrator from his commonplace spot at the 3-technique, but the defensive tackle hasn’t produced quality results in the backfield.

After his rookie season, in which he had a career-high 43 total pressures leading to three sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 31 rushes, all those numbers dropped significantly by the end of the 2021 season, per PFF.

• RELATED: Giants Excited by Wink Martindale's More Aggressive Scheme

These trends have led Lawrence and the Giants to take time during camp to work on different drills and position alignments that could revive the pass-rushing beast inside of him. Thus far, it seems, the changes have already drawn eyeballs to Lawrence’s elevated game.

In Tuesday’s practice, Lawrence caught attention for his select 1-on-1 individual drills centered around pressuring the interior. Most noticeable during the period was the increasing display of a power rush move to help him beat the offensive lineman off the ball and shove them into the backfield.

When questioned about these new skills and the approach taken with the defense this offseason, though, Lawrence laughed off reporters and stated he’s just growing in the position he’s always known.

“I think I’m just getting more knowledgeable about my position, understanding how to manipulate things and win more,” Lawrence said. “That’s what I’ve got to do as a defensive lineman: just learn the position and grow from there.”

Perhaps all Lawrence needed was the right tutelage, and those who watched Lawrence dominate as a rusher in college can attest to that. In three seasons with the Tigers, he accumulated 131 tackles, including 81 for a loss. In his freshman season, he held career highs in sacks with 6.5 and fumbles recovered with 2.

With Martindale leading the ship and commanding his renowned scheme in New York, even Lawrence should be excited about his potential in this new interior rusher role.

“You know, it’s just quicker. Everything’s quicker right there. It’s still the same thing as using my hands, bringing my feet, playing long, things like that.”

Either way, it will take the entire defensive unit being their best for the Giants to find more success on the field this season. Last year, the offense was disastrous, and the onus fell on the defense to keep the team in a chunk of their games.

The Giants are also coming back with a relatively young defense (particularly the secondary), adding to the challenges Martindale and his group will face if the rest of the team repeats their woes.

All that considered, Lawrence knows he must bring his new A-game pressure to the defense this year, and he is ready to finally become that “inside force.”

“The NFL is a passing league, so it’s going to be a lot of pass rush on different first and second downs and probably more on third downs sometimes. So, it’s just going out there every play.”

“At the end of the day, it’s football. I don’t think my usage is different. I’m a force in the middle, and I’m going to keep being that.”

Maybe that force will heed his head coach’s comments and become a leader in a new statistical category this fall

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