With Lawrence’s deal getting done, the spotlight will now shine brighter on general manager Joe Schoen and the G-Men working on a new contract with running back Saquon Barkley.
While Barkley had the franchise tag placed on him this offseason and Jones did not have his fifth-year option picked up in 2021, Lawrence has been a no-brainer in the Giants’ plans for the future.
Lawrence has started 57 games since he was drafted 17th overall by the Giants and has steadily worked up the ladder to become regarded as one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL — and now he’s getting paid as such.
The 6-foot-4, 342-pound Lawrence is now the fourth interior defensive lineman to crack the $90 million club in total salary, following the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald, the Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons and the Washington Commanders’ Daron Payne. Lawrence’s $22.5 million average per year and his $90 million total value tie him with Payne for third-highest in each category.
The 25-year-old has been terrific from the jump for the Giants, but is coming off the best season of his career, having posted career highs with 7.5 sacks, 68 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 28 QB hits. Lawrence garnered a 92.0 grade from PFF in 2022, which was tied for second-best in the league, and his 92.4 pass rush grade led all interior D-linemen.
As the Schoen and Brian Daboll era got off to a surprising start last year with a playoff berth, New York is continuing to build for the future and locking up Lawrence was clearly a top priority for the club.
The Giants added A’Shawn Robinson on the defensive line this offseason. Another former first-rounder Kayvon Thobodeaux has infused excitement opposite Leonard Williams. But it’s the Giants’ second first-rounder from 2019 who has become the centerpiece of their burgeoning defense and Sexy Dexy is getting paid accordingly.