Not only has Dexter Lawrence established himself as one of the NFL’s top interior defenders, but the former Clemson star has also cemented himself as one of the best players in the league, regardless of position.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the top 50 players in the NFL entering the 2025 season, and Lawrence landed in the top 15 – at No. 14 – on the list.

Now entering his seventh NFL season in 2025, Lawrence has racked up 310 total tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 30 sacks in 92 career games (85 starts) since being selected by the New York Giants in the first round (17th overall) of the 2019 draft.

Lawrence was enjoying a stellar 2024 season before he saw it end early with an elbow injury on Nov. 28 against the Dallas Cowboys. In his 12 games this past season, the 6-foot-4, 340-pounder posted a career-high 9.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss while also recording 44 total tackles, 16 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and one pass defended.

With his third straight Pro Bowl nod last season, Lawrence became the first Giants player to be voted to three straight Pro Bowls since safety Landon Collins from 2016-18. If Lawrence hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury, he could have very well earned his third consecutive AP All-Pro selection as well.

“Lawrence has emerged as one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players over the past three seasons,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema wrote. “His 89.9 PFF grade in 2024 ranked third among defensive tackles, trailing only Chris Jones and Cameron Heyward. He leads all interior defenders with a 93.3 PFF grade since 2022, and he sits second to Jones in PFF WAR. Lawrence’s versatility sets him apart — he’s the only defensive tackle with 90.0-plus grades in both pass rushing and run defense over that span.”

PFF also recently ranked the top 32 interior defenders entering the 2025 NFL season, and Lawrence checked in at No. 2 in the ranking, behind only Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.

At Clemson, Lawrence was a three-time All-ACC selection and a first-team All-American in 2018. He entered the NFL Draft after completing his three-year Clemson career (2016-18) with 162 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 43 quarterback pressures, five pass breakups, a caused fumble and three recovered fumbles over 40 games (36 starts).

–Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images