The New York Giants’ defense has elite potential this season. After making a slew of upgrades in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants’ defense, on paper, looks to be one of the best units in the league.
Giants’ pass rush named their top reason for optimism this season
Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus recently named one reason for optimism for each of the league’s 32 franchises. For the New York Giants, he circled their “potentially elite pass rush.”
“Led by superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants ranked seventh in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade,” Wasserman explained. “In addition to that excellent group, the team added Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Carter earned an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade while accruing 66 pressures and 13 sacks last season. He and third-round pick Darius Alexander should bolster New York’s defensive line in a big way.”
The Giants’ new edge rusher trio of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie first-round pick Abdul Carter could be a dangerous force for opposing offenses. Those three, plus the presence of Dexter Lawrence on the interior, create a matchup nightmare for offensive linemen.
The Giants’ defensive line has elite potential
Lawrence was on pace for a Defensive Player of the Year-worthy campaign last season before his year was cut short due to an injury. He totaled a career-high 9.0 sacks with 44 combined tackles and eight tackles for loss in only eight games.
Burns made an immediate and intense impact in his first season with the Giants. He totaled 8.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and a career-high 71 combined tackles last season.
Thibodeaux took a step back last season, totaling only 5.5 sacks in 12 games. However, with more talent around him in 2025, there is plenty of optimism as the former top-five pick enters the fourth season of his career.
Carter was arguably the best defensive player in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He was dominant in his final season at Penn State, totaling 12.0 sacks and a nation-leading 24.0 tackles for loss.
If all goes according to plan, this defensive line could be a dominant force in 2025. The Giants managed to rank tied-eighth in team sacks with 45.0 last season. With even more talent in the unit, and hopefully, better health, that sack total could see an exponential rise in 2025.
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