Cincinnati Bengals: Carl Lawson emerging as DROY candidate
Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Carl Lawson is getting after the quarterback at an incredible rate, and is a rookie of the year candidate as a result..
Cincinnati Bengals edge defender Carl Lawson is getting after quarterbacks a lot this season.
We could really end the article there, but that wouldn’t do Lawson any real justice for how well he has played thus far.
A fourth round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Lawson has more than exceeded expectations, even though most expectations for him coming into the draft process were pretty high. Some had Lawson as a fringe first round player, but he lasted to the fourth round where the Cincinnati Bengals snatched him up.
The first few weeks of the season, that pick is looking like highway robbery.
Lawson checked in at the number five spot on our top rookie rankings last week, and will undoubtedly be ascending after racking up a whopping total of 10 pressures against Aaron Rodgers and a porous Packers offensive line.
Here’s his first career sack:
Former Auburn DE Carl Lawson sacks Aaron Rodgers and knocks his helmet off. (ft. barking dog in background) pic.twitter.com/UP4uul1fOY
— Nathan Deal, now on BlueSky (@NattyD13) September 24, 2017
How about another?
Signature long arm from Carl Lawson. Dudes legit pic.twitter.com/aC54CyHseY
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) September 24, 2017
So far this season, Pro Football Focus has credited Lawson with 13 total quarterback hurries, three sacks, and one hit. That’s 17 total pressures in the first three weeks of the season from a fourth round draft pick.
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I don’t care what quality of offensive line he’s going up against, those are great numbers from a rookie, and they’re getting better every week.
His 10 total pressures from this past weekend seem like an unreal number, but that wasn’t even good for first in the NFL this week. Brian Orakpo of the Tennessee Titans finished with 11 pressures against the worst offensive line in the NFL — the Seattle Seahawks.
If Lawson can keep this pace up, even at 50 percent of what he was doing this past weekend against the Packers, he’s going to be tough to beat as a defensive rookie of the year candidate. It doesn’t make any sense to me why he lasted until the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but here we are.
With Lawson having a breakout game against the Packers, it’ll be interesting to see how teams approach him the rest of the season.