All the focus in the Washington Commanders' building is on the NFL Draft, where they will use the No. 7 overall pick. In the meantime, another NFC East squad has sent shockwaves around the football world.
The New York Giants traded star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick. The G-Men will be on the clock twice in the top-10, as they also select at No. 5 with their own pick.
The move might turn out to be a long-term win for the Giants, depending on how their extra selection pans out. In the meantime, the Commanders and the rest of the division can take a sigh of relief.
Dexter Lawrence's absence gives Commanders one less reason to fear the Giants
The Commanders have had their way against the Giants in recent years, sweeping them in each of the past two seasons. But New York's vaunted defensive front has always caused problems for Washington, which Lawrence has been a major part of.
Lawrence has 4.5 career sacks against the Commanders, which all came between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. That includes a multi-sack performance in Week 7 of the 2023 campaign in East Rutherford, a game the Giants won 14-7.
The Commanders had bottled up Lawrence in their past four meetings, with the nose tackle typically matched up against Tyler Biadasz. After Adam Peters inexplicably cut their starting center this spring, it's relieving that the Clemson product won't be around to make Washington pay for its mistake.
In total, Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro. His numbers dropped off last year, with only half of a sack all season in addition to 31 tackles and eight quarterback hits, but his impact always went far beyond the box score.
Lawrence was the on-field emotional leader of the Giants' front seven, which features high-end pieces in Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bobby Okereke. He made every player around him better. Replacing his production won't be easy for a team that has no shortage of other needs to address under new head coach John Harbaugh.
The Giants are in a good long-term position with their draft capital, but for now, they have a Lawrence-shaped hole on their defensive line. That should make life a little bit less intimidating when the Commanders face off against their divisional foes this year.
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