'He's a bad man': Why Dexter Lawrence is ready to prove he still is who you think he is

EAST RUTHERFORD - The question came up last offseason when future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald retired: Was it time to call Dexter Lawrence the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL?

The New York Giants star was in the process of providing a resounding answer by taking his game to another level when an elbow injury abruptly ended his 2024 season on Thanksgiving.

Given his presence and resume, it's worth debating how many defensive players are actually in his class.

For Lawrence to do what he has done while lining up at nose tackle, most of the time straight up against the opposing center, it's akin in some ways to a fullback leading the league in rushing.

Don’t let the smile or the "Sexy Dexy" nickname and sack celebration fool you: Lawrence is a bad, bad man on the football field.

Make him angry, like some critics did last year by insinuating an opposing center outplayed Lawrence in a game without mentioning he was doubled and tripled all night, and well, opponents wound up paying for that assertion in the weeks that followed.

The Giants would certainly welcome a similar situation right about now. Because Lawrence has heard all week entering the home opener in prime time against the Kansas City Chiefs about how he has not had the impact expected from the All-Pro every time he steps on the field.

By his standard, Lawrence has had a quiet start. The Giants are 0-2 and their defense gave up 40 points in an overtime loss to the Cowboys last Sunday, so all eyes turn to the biggest game-changer on that side of the ball.

And Lawrence promises to remind the world why when the lights go on Sunday night.

"I know I have got to be at my best," Lawrence said. "And I will be at my best Sunday night. I’ll be ready."

Day-after-game film reviews in the NFL are typically sessions filled with internal praise and recognition, and certainly not without with some constructive criticism along the way when things don't go well.

For Lawrence, there is another purpose entirely. He takes pride as an elite player on whom the Giants can count. Greater meaning and satisfaction is found in this reality, however:

When Giants opponents turn on the video and begin their preparation, Lawrence wants them to feel with trepidation the challenge of trying to stop what is coming. His primary motivation is making sure the players next tasked with blocking him know what they are up against.

"I don't want to disappoint nobody," Lawrence said previously. "If dominance is what you expect from me, that's what you are going to get. My job is to give them what they want."

There is another level for a player of Lawrence's caliber to reach. Judging the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Lawrence's impact only by the numbers is a foolish exercise, however.

Turn on the tape and you'll see his quest to be regarded as the top player at his position in the NFL is undeniable. He's the best defensive player the Giants have had since Michael Strahan, and that's not intended to be disrespectful to Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.

"He's a bad man," Giants co-captain Brian Burns said of Lawrence. "Dex is Dex. Period."

Lawrence is well aware that the perception of him as a football player has changed over the past three years. Still, he's not satisfied, and with all eyes in the locker room peering in his direction, the drive to be the best is greater than ever.

"Every chance I get, I'm telling Dex in his ear: 'Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame,' because that's the next step for him," private defensive line coach Mark Hall, who trains Lawrence, Cowboys star Kenny Clark and other standouts at the position, told NorthJersey.com and The Record this summer. "Dex never talks about that kind of stuff, but I know he hears me, it's definitely there. But he's motivated by what's in front of him: dominating play to play, day to day, week to week, and he's just so dynamic. To get to where he can go, there's another level most players can't think of going. The challenge is raising his game and doing that for everyone around him."

Sunday night's game against the Chiefs represents a multi-layered challenge for Lawrence, who is the anchor of the Giants' revamped defensive front with Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Abdul Carter as they take aim at getting after Patrick Mahomes.

Lawrence will be engaged in one of the game's best showdowns with Chiefs All-Pro center Creed Humphrey, and the talk on the Kansas City defense will be about another stud lineman in Chris Jones, who is also in that best-in-the-league conversation.

No better time for Lawrence to reclaim the attention of those who may have forgotten who he is.

As Lawrence told NorthJersey.com and The Record last year: "It’s all about being present and keeping your eyes where they need to be, not wasting a moment to get better or to grow. Because if you focus on something else other than now, there’s a chance you will be disappointed. I have something to prove every week. My job is to dominate. There's a lot to my game that you haven't seen yet."

He paused before adding with a smile: "But they will."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Dexter Lawrence: Giants star wants to prove he is who you think he is