Dexter Lawrence grew up a Giants fan in North Carolina.
Watching their defensive linemen such as Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Fred Robbins, he said, turned him on to Big Blue.
“It kind of inspired me,” he said.
Now he gets to follow them.
The Giants used their 17th overall selection – the first-round choice they acquired from the Browns in exchange for Odell Beckham Jr. – to select Lawrence, a defensive tackle from Clemson. The 6-4, 350-pounder gives the Giants a nose tackle for the middle of a young defensive line where he will be flanked by Dalvin Tomlinson and B.