Just days before the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh, the New York Giants traded three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick. Lawrence had pushed for a trade after contract talks with New York hit a wall, and while most expected the Giants to eventually move him, nobody expected them to walk away with a top-ten pick in return. But as soon as the deal dropped, coaches around the league started talking, and the reaction was telling.

“Talking to several coaches around the NFL right now … they are STUNNED the #Giants got what they did for Dexter Lawrence. All agree: Very good player, but not worth No. 10. Age, injury, and concerns regarding his conditioning were pointed out. Also that you need to limit the number of snaps he plays to maximize his production; really just a one-position player. Needless to say: Great return for #NYG.” Connor Hughes posted on X.

On April 18, 2026, Dexter Lawrence was traded to Cincinnati from New York for the Bengals’ 2026 first-round pick at No. 10, according to Spotrac. Still, the trade is not sitting right with a lot of people because the Giants came away with a first-round pick in return.

While many view Lawrence as a star defensive tackle, they believe that, although he is a good player, he is not worth a first-round pick. That kind of value feels high because of his age, injury concerns, conditioning, and snap limitations as a one-position player.

The decision followed Dexter Lawrence’s request for a trade at age 28 when negotiations on a new contract extension failed. Lawrence was asking for significant money, and the Giants did not want to offer him an extension worth a maximum contract, given that his previous season wasn’t a great one by his standards.

In the last season, he managed only 31 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 17 games. That’s much lower than his performance during the 2024 season, when he made 44 tackles and had enough sacks (9) to be selected for the Pro Bowl.

The New York Giants already owned the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. By adding Cincinnati’s No. 10 selection, the Giants now hold two top 10 picks in a draft where they can target high talent to build around young pieces like QB Jaxson Dart and WR Malik Nabers.

That gives the franchise a chance to speed up its rebuild under new head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen.

While the New York Giants are clearly happy to land a first-round pick, the Bengals have reasons to feel good about the trade, too.

Dexter Lawrence Trade to Bengals Makes Sense for Cincinnati

The Bengals gave up the 10th overall pick in next week’s draft to land what they believe is a generational talent in Dexter Lawrence, showing a clear win-now mindset.

They are also expected to work out a long-term contract extension with Lawrence as soon as he passes his physical, according to Jordan Schultz. Lawrence was originally the 17th overall pick by the Giants in 2019.

Currently, Lawrence is signed through 2027 under a four-year $87.5 million contract and was set to make $20 million in 2026.

Over seven seasons, he has made three Pro Bowls and earned Second Team All-Pro honors twice. In his career, he has recorded 341 tackles, 15 passes defended, one interception, five forced fumbles, and 30.5 sacks.

This decision is also logical when considering the performance of the defense in the last season. The Bengals had the second-worst total defense, which allowed 380.9 yards on average per game, ranking 31st. It is also the worst-scoring defense, which allowed 28.9 points on average per game.

From 2011 to 2025, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted 62 defensive players, none of whom appeared in a Pro Bowl.

Because of that, the team has tried to rebuild the defense in free agency this offseason, bringing in pass rusher Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, and now Dexter Lawrence to that group.

All of this shows the Bengals are going all in to fix their defense and compete right now with Lawrence leading the way.