Dexter Lawrence to Bengals in blockbuster pre-draft trade with Giants
Giants star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence is headed to the Bengals less than one week before the 2026 NFL Draft.
The New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals are finalizing a trade that involves defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to multiple reports. Lawrence and the Giants recently reached an impasse in discussions about a contract extension. Earlier this month, a shushing face emoji in a tweet from Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle BJ Hill had fans on social media hoping for a reunion between Hill and Lawrence.
Hill and Lawrence were teammates with the Giants in 2019 and 2020 before Hill was traded to the Bengals in August 2021 for offensive lineman Billy Price. Social media reactions to the deal, including from Bengals receiver Tee Higgins: A lot of this in the jungle huh🤣 https://t. co/0eYLeTCA7G — Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) April 19, 2026 Bengals using their 10th pick to secure a premier player.
https://t. co/aw5hqVg0GR — Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 19, 2026 Giants GM Joe Schoen was in Arizona Thursday night and dined with Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson at the restaurant UCHI. 5th overall may have been a little rich.
But 10th? 🤔 Draft is five days away. Let's go.