Giants 2025 Position Breakdown: Has Big Blue found Dexter Lawrence's sidekick?

Heading into the 2025 season, theGiantsare coming off another incredibly disappointing campaign, which saw them go 3-14 and take another step in the wrong direction, putting GMJoe Schoenand head coachBrian Dabollfirmly on the hot seat. But as the team heads into 2025, there's optimism that the Giants will be an improved squad.

In this series, we'll break down the depth chart for every position group. This time, we'll go in-depth at the defensive tackle spot...

Projected depth chart

Starters:Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches
Backups: Roy Robertson-Harris, Darius Alexander, Jeremiah Ledbetter, D.J. Davidson, Elijah Chapman
Key additions/losses: Drafted Alexander in third round
Top Performers in 2024: Lawrence, with 9.0 sacks, eight tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits
2024 ranking via PFF: Lawrence, 2nd out of 219 defensive linemen

What Giants defensive tackles have going for them

No matter what the rest of the depth chart looks like, the Giants can hang their hat on the fact that they have one of, if not the best interior linemen in the NFL in Lawrence.

Sexy Dexy has been everything the Giants hoped for, and perhaps even more, since they selected him 17th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and the scary part is that he just keeps getting better. Lawrence had a career-best 9.0 sacks in just 12 games last season, earning his third straight Pro Bowl nod. Not bad for a player thought of as primarily a run-stuffer coming out of college.

There are plenty of depth pieces behind Lawrence, and we'll get to them in a moment, but big No. 97 is a total game-wrecker in the middle of the Giants' defense.

Key concern for 2025: Who steps up if Lawrence isn't playing?

Lawrence was a monster in the first half of 2024, racking up all 9.0 of his sacks in his first seven games. But his production in that department tailed off, and he suffered a dislocated elbow on Thanksgiving against the Cowboys, ending his season.

With Lawrence in the lineup, the Giants allowed 30 points just once. Without him, they allowed 30+ points three times in a five-game span.

The Giants are loaded with outstanding edge rushers, but pushing the interior of the pocket and getting in the quarterback's face is so important in today's NFL. And the Giants are going to need someone other than Lawrence to step up in that category, especially with Lawrence likely to draw double teams on almost every passing snap.

Player who must step up in 2025: Nunez-Roches

Nunez-Roches had a solid second season in New York, starting 15 games and totaling 2.0 sacks and six QB hits, but he is nowhere near the pass-rusher that Lawrence has become (and really, who is?).

Still, the Giants will need RNR to step up and be a veteran leader on defense, especially when it comes to stopping the run.

Biggest camp battle: Nunez-Roches vs. Alexander

Nunez-Roches is a 10-year veteran who has 133 games of NFL experience, but it's fair to think he could be looking over his shoulder at the rookie Alexander. The 65th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Alexander was a force at Toledo, totaling 9.0 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and one interception for the Rockets.

At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds with 34-inch arms, Alexander impressed many during the week of Senior Bowl practices, and with good camp he could find himself in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

The Giants play a base 3-4 front, meaning they normally have three defensive linemen on the field as well as a pair of outside linebackers, so a three-man front of Lawrence, Nunez-Roches, and Alexander could be the starting group. But most NFL defenses play in nickel these days, meaning that Nunez-Roches and Alexander could be battling for one of two defensive tackle spots in passing situations.

Overall 2025 outlook

The Giants know what they have in Lawrence: a freak of nature who has proven to be one of the best interior tackles in the NFL. After that, though, things get a little murkier.

The X-factor is going to be Alexander. If the rookie shows out during camp and proves that he can play at the NFL level, he's going to get snaps, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him and Lawrence next to each other in the starting lineup, whether it's base, nickel, or some other sub-package.

Make no mistake, though, this group will go as Lawrence goes.