After a disappointing 6-11 finish last year and extending the playoff drought to three consecutive seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals made big moves this offseason by adding serious firepower to the roster. Recently, Zac Taylor brought in the three-time Pro Bowler, Dexter Lawrence, but it came at the expense of sacrificing a first-round pick from the upcoming draft.

“The Bengals are signing DT Dexter Lawrence to a one-year extension worth $28 million in new money, source tells @NFLonCBS.” noted Jonathan Jones on X. ” He’s now under contract through 2028 in Cincinnati.”

Following his rookie contract with the Giants, he signed a four-year extension with the franchise, paying him $87.5 million and $21.8 million annually. After completing the two years of that contract, he will be completing the next two in Cincinnati.

His cap hits were $14.5 million and $23.9 million with the Giants after completing the first two years of the contract extension. Following the trade deal, the Bengals will pay for the rest of the two years, while there is an additional year added to the contract. Hence, he will be at Paycor Stadium until the end of the 2028 campaign.

Bringing over the contract value from New York, he is slated to earn $20 million and $22 million in the next two seasons. Likewise, a one-year contract extension will result in a $6 million surge in total pay, bringing his earnings to $28 million, with 2028 set to be the highest-paid season of his NFL career.

To understand why this trade makes sense for Cincinnati specifically, you just have to look at what their defense gave up in 2025. The Bengals surrendered 147.1 rushing yards per game. It was the absolute worst run defense in the entire NFL that season. Opposing running backs alone racked up 2,177 rushing yards against them, which was the most allowed to running backs in the league. At 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, Lawrence is built to fix exactly that. He clogs rushing lanes at the point of attack, demands constant attention from offensive lines, and frees up edge rushers like Trey Hendrickson to work one-on-one.

The 28-year-old was a first-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft (17th overall), and he spent seven seasons with the Big Blue before this blockbuster trade deal. He cemented his name after arriving at MetLife Stadium.

Right from his rookie season, the nose tackle had been a starter for the Big Blue, starting in 102 of his 109 games in his career. In his seven seasons, the defensive star recorded 30.5 sacks, 341 combined tackles, and 5 forced fumbles. Even though his numbers dipped last season, he is only 28 and remained injury-free for most of his career. He could bounce back in a new system, and his veteran status could be a major asset for the Bengals.

The “down season” narrative around Lawrence is also worth unpacking. Yes, the 0.5 sacks and 31 tackles in 2025 were career lows. But context matters here. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence faced a 70.35% double-team rate in 2025, the fifth-highest in the entire NFL. He was also coming off an injury-hampered training camp, was openly unhappy with his contract situation in New York, and was operating in a Giants defense that struggled to build around him. Even through all of that, he still logged 479 pass-rush snaps and maintained a 14% win rate.

While the expectations are high for the three-time Pro Bowler, the trade deal also broke a 37-year-old tradition.

Bengals end 37-year first-round draft tradition after Dexter Lawrence trade

As part of the trade deal, the Cincinnati Bengals lost their first-round pick (10th overall) option from the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, they have a total of seven picks from the draft, but none from the first round. Their earliest pick is in the second round (41 overall).

The sacrifice of the first round marked the end of a long-standing 37-year-old streak. It’s the first time since 1989 that the franchise is without the first-round pick. After coming off a Super Bowl XXIII appearance in the same year, they initially had an early round option (27 overall), but they traded the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for three later-round picks.

After this trade deal, the Giants now have two initial round options (5th and 10th). The new Super Bowl-winning Giants coach, John Harbaugh, will be locking in two premier stars from the draft pool, whereas the Bengals will be hoping that Lawrence delivers on the promise for the next three seasons.