Dexter Lawrence trade grades: Bengals pay hefty price to upgrade problematic defense in deal with Giants

Dexter Lawrence trade grades: Bengals pay hefty price to upgrade problematic defense in deal with Giants originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . While the rest of the NFL focuses on the upcoming draft, the Bengals still had some offseason business to handle.

Cincinnati swung a blockbuster deal with the Giants for DT Dexter Lawrence on Saturday, landing the three-time Pro-Bowler in exchange for the No. 10 pick in Thursday's draft. The deal leaves the Giants with two top-10 picks but a void up front on their defense, while the Bengals add a defensive anchor after losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency.

Here's how the Bengals and Giants did in the Lawrence blockbuster. MORE : Full 2026 NFL Draft order Dexter Lawrence trade grades Bengals grade: C Bengals receive: DT Dexter Lawrence Make no mistake: the Bengals badly need a talent infusion on their defense, and that was true even before Trey Hendrickson's exit in free agency. Lawrence makes their defense better from day one, and a stronger defense is critical to Cincinnati's hopes of returning to the playoffs with Joe Burrow.

This is still a hefty price to pay for player heading into his eighth season who is presumably asking to become one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. The Bengals might not get a player of Lawrence's caliber with the No. 10 pick — ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the team considers 2026 "a big year" and want an immediate impact — but considering how much more cost-controlled that player would be, Cincinnati has to hope Lawrence plays like an All-Pro to live up to this deal.