The Cincinnati Bengals did not have a pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
The Bengals traded their No. 10 overall pick straight up to the New York Giants for 28-year-old defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
A major reason Cincinnati made the trade was because the Bengals front office was unsure the draft’s best defensive players would last until the 10th pick.
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“You know the value of Dexter,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said, per play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard. “You’ve seen it on tape for the last seven years. So there’s really no question on what he’s going to bring. With any first round pick, there’s always going to be a question. You think you know the value, but until they’re integrated into an NFL locker room and go play against other NFL players, there’s a little bit of an unknown there. He’s a known commodity.”
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., both widely expected to go in the top nine picks, were still on the board at No. 10. The Dallas Cowboys moved up in the first round to select Downs at No. 11.
The Giants, who received the Bengals’ pick in the trade, took Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10. Mauigoa also was considered a possible target for Cincinnati if the defensive players were off the board. New York also picked Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese in the first round with the No. 5 pick.
Meanwhile, the Bengals gave Lawrence a $28 million extension. He is under contract for three years. Cincinnati hopes he is the missing piece to improve a defense that ranked 31st in total yards allowed and 30th in points allowed.
The Giants drafted Lawrence 17th overall out of Clemson in the 2019 NFL Draft. He earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after the 2022 and 2023 seasons and added a third Pro Bowl nod in 2024.
However, Lawrence’s numbers dipped in 2025. In 17 starts, he recorded career lows in tackles (31) and sacks (0.5). Lawrence’s four tackles for loss represented the second-fewest of his career.