Dexter Lawrence is arguably one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the NFL. A two-time second-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection across seven seasons, Lawrence has built a resume that places him in rare company at his position.<\/p>\n
With the Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly being one of many teams to reach out to the Giants to inquire, let\u2019s discuss the likely uncomfortable price for acquiring the dominant interior lineman.<\/p>\n
Lawrence\u2019s 2024 campaign was, by every metric, a statement year, featuring nine sacks while leading the league in double-teamed rate.<\/p>\n
Then came 2025, a down year by any measure, with just half a sack to his name. Reports out of New York suggested Lawrence wasn\u2019t in ideal shape entering the offseason and appeared to play at less than full effort on tape at times. It\u2019s fair to say both sides of this debate, to trade for him or not, have legitimate grounds to stand on.<\/p>\n
The \u201cdown year\u201d Context<\/p>\n
Despite the narrative around Lawrence\u2019s 2025 season, his Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 84.5 ranked seventh among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen, which includes both nose tackles and three-technique defensive tackles. His run defense grade of 57.0 ranked 56th. For comparison, Jacksonville\u2019s own DaVon Hamilton posted a 61.1 run defense grade, 42nd in the NFL, which actually edges Lawrence in that specific category.<\/p>\n
But the pass rush gap is significant: Lawrence generated 34 quarterback pressures in 2025 compared to Hamilton\u2019s 11. To be clear, this isn\u2019t a knock on Hamilton. No nose tackle who primarily lines up at that spot has produced anything close to what Lawrence has as a pass rusher. Across his career, he\u2019s simply been in a class of his own.<\/p>\n
If you believe that getting Lawrence into the building will reignite him, and you\u2019re banking on getting the 2022-to-2024 version, you have to consider making the trade.<\/p>\n