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New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams finally broke out in 2020, recording a career-high 30 QB hits and 11.5 sacks to go along with 57 tackles and one pass defensed.
It was the sort of production many expected from Williams when selected sixth overall by the New York Jets in 2015, but something they were unable to get out of him.
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William’s career-best season was also redemption for Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who faced heavy criticism when acquiring the 27-year-old in a mid-season trade with the Jets in 2019.
Now the pressure is on Williams to repeat his success from last season and reward the Giants for their three-year, $63 million investment. The good news is that he’s spent the offseason working hard and has turned some doubters into believers.
In fact, Pro Football Focus recently ranked Williams among the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen.
9. LEONARD WILLIAMS, NEW YORK GIANTS
Williams turned a career 2020 year with the Giants into a three-year, $63 million contract this offseason. His reliability and durability over the course of his career provide at least some level of assurance that the Giants will continue to get strong production moving forward. Williams is one of just four interior defenders with at least 3,000 regular-season defensive snaps since he entered the league in 2015, and he’s been the fourth-most valuable player at the position over that span, per PFF WAR.
The only reason Williams doesn’t land higher on the list is that he hasn’t shown much of a ceiling as a pass-rusher. Despite putting up 62 pressures in 2020, he finished with just a 69.9 pass-rushing grade.
But Williams wasn’t the only Giant to make PFF’s cut. Although not ranked among the top 10 DIs, Dexter Lawrence did check in at No. 16 overall (out of 32).
16. DEXTER LAWRENCE, NEW YORK GIANTS
The Giants’ interior defensive line is loaded with talent, even following the loss of Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. Lawrence found ways to improve in 2020 (79.7 overall grade) off a strong rookie debut in 2019 (76.2 overall grade). That was especially true on pass plays, as he bumped his pass-rush grade from 64.5 as a rookie to 73.2 last season. You’ll take that kind of impact from a defensive tackle listed at over 340 pounds without hesitation.
For comparison purposes, former Giants defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, who is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, came in one spot behind Lawrence at No. 17 overall.
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