PFF just confirmed what Giants fans suspected about 2025 D-line

You can fault the New York Giants for all of their shortcomings in recent years, but one thing you can't do is blame their lack of success on the defensive line. Though Kayvon Thibodeaux hasn't quite been everything as advertised, Dexter Lawrence was playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level in 2024 before the injury, and Brian Burns proved to be a rock-solid addition to the team's pass rush. The D-line was clearly the strength of the team.

Now this unit is destined to take a step forward. The Giants added one of the best edge rusher prospects to come out of the NFL Draft in years with Abdul Carter, and Lawrence is healthy and ready to go. On Wednesday, Pro Football Focus' Zoltán Buday ranked every NFL defensive line, and the NY Giants came in at No. 3.

"Arguably no team has done more in the NFL to strengthen its defensive line and pass rush over the past couple of seasons than the Giants," Buday wrote on PFF. "They drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter with top-five picks in 2022 and 2025, respectively, and also traded for former first-rounder Brian Burns. The team's edge defender trio is complemented by perhaps the best nose tackle in the league, Dexter Lawrence. Although Lawrence’s 2024 season was cut short due to an injury, his 89.9 PFF overall grade still ranked third among interior defenders."

Clips from the Giants' minicamp already showed how lethal this unit can be when on the field together. On one impressive play, Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux each dusted their blockers and met quarterback Russell Wilson in the backfield at the same time.

This is a sign of things to come... and fans need to start getting excited.

The New York Giants' defensive line could rise to the top in the NFL in 2025

Ranking as the third-best unit in the NFL is nothing to scoff at, but it's easy to see a path where the New York Giants claim the No. 1 defensive line title from PFF by the end of the season. The only teams ranked ahead of the Giants on this list were the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 1) and the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 2).

Both of these Pennsylvania teams have spectacular defensive line units in their own right. The Steelers have a fantastic combination of T.J. Watt and the ageless Cam Heyward. Meanwhile, the Eagles have a well-balanced defensive line, headlined by Jalen Carter, that excels at getting pressure on four-man rushes.

But the Giants' D-line might have the most upside of any unit in the league.

Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence are already established Pro Bowlers in the primes of their NFL careers who could see their best seasons yet in 2025. Now, the addition of Abdul Carter will add unmatched speed and explosion to the pass rush. This could also be the boost Kayvon Thibodeaux needs for a breakout season.

And don't forget about Darius Alexander—a name that PFF failed to mention in their D-line rankings. The Toledo star was New York's third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Alexander possesses physicality and athletic traits, and it's already looking like Lawrence will finally get the sidekick he deserves on the interior defensive line.

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is going to have some fun with his top five players on the defensive line, and if Carter comes firing out of the gate as a rookie and looks like one of the league's next premeir pass rushers, the sky is the limit for the New York Giants' defensive line in 2025.