The New York Giants have made serious upgrades up and down their roster this offseason. Their once thin roster has become beefier and is now beginning to draw raves and, finally, some respect.
Of course, winning will solve that issue more than anything else, but before the first snap of the season, it’s good to know that general manager Joe Schoen’s offseason work is being recognized.
The Giants’ defensive front seven has become a very solid unit, and with several key additions, such as draft picks Abdul Carter and Darius Alexander, it will just add to its potency.
In their recent rankings of defensive lines, Pro Football Focus placed the Giants at No. 3.
Arguably no team has done more in the NFL to strengthen its defensive line and pass rush over the past couple of seasons than the Giants. They drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter with top-five picks in 2022 and 2025, respectively, and also traded for former first-rounder Brian Burns.
The team’s edge defender trio is complemented by perhaps the best nose tackle in the league, Dexter Lawrence. Although Lawrence’s 2024 season was cut short due to an injury, his 89.9 PFF overall grade still ranked third among interior defenders.
In addition to Dexter Lawrence and the rookie Alexander, the Giants, who were 26th in the NFL against the run last year, added some veteran depth along the line in Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter this offseason. They will join Rakeem Nunez-Roches and a cast of others vying for roster spots this summer.
The real difference maker is the linebacker group. Brian Burns and Carter can both play with their hand in the dirt as down rushers, giving the Giants an additional dimension on passing downs.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Where does New York Giants’ D-line rank among NFL’s 32 teams?
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
