The NFL offseason may be approaching the 2026 NFL Draft, but trade season isn’t over. Teams continue making moves to shape their rosters ahead of Thursday’s draft.
On Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals sent shockwaves through the league by trading the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants in exchange for All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
The move feels uncharacteristic for Cincinnati. Not only did the team part with premium draft capital, but it also reportedly plans to give Lawrence the massive contract he’s seeking.
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This is the same organization that struggled to reach agreements with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins—yet now it’s making a splash like this. For Bengals fans, it’s a refreshing change.
Still, one question looms: does trading for Lawrence truly make sense—not just in the short term, but in the bigger picture?
First and foremost, this move addresses a defense that looked destined to struggle in 2026. The Bengals fielded one of the league’s worst defensive units in 2025.
Adding an All-Pro presence like Lawrence gives the unit a much-needed anchor. The turnaround won’t happen overnight, but the team can finally begin building a solid foundation this summer.
The Bengals have also struggled to draft consistently well. Over the past decade, their two biggest first-round successes have been Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. Beyond those two, the team has accumulated several misses.
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The jury remains out on Amarius Mims, though he shows promise. Even with that, Cincinnati has hit on only a small fraction of its first-round picks since 2015. Given that track record, opting for a proven talent like Lawrence instead of another uncertain prospect makes sense.
At the same time, the move introduces valid concerns.
The Bengals previously watched the Baltimore Ravens sign their former All-Pro pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson, after hesitating to offer him a strong long-term deal.
Now, they’ve traded significant capital for Lawrence in a top-heavy draft class. Even with their drafting struggles, they could have traded back to accumulate more picks and build depth.
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That leads to an obvious question: why not retain Hendrickson and keep the draft capital? Or better yet, why not find a way to keep Hendrickson while still pursuing a player like Lawrence?
None of this makes the move inherently bad. It simply raises the possibility that Cincinnati could have positioned itself even better—retaining a proven pass rusher while preserving valuable draft assets.
Ultimately, did the Bengals execute this strategy the right way, or did they miss an opportunity to maximize their defensive rebuild? The answer could determine whether they emerge as true contenders or remain on the fringe of the playoff picture.