Before the Dexter Lawrence trade, an NFL GM said the Bengals were “screwed” if they kept the No. 10 pick
The Bengals’ big swing is being justified.
Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Man, it sure is nice to have national media members praising the Cincinnati Bengals for something. There are a lot of them praising the Bengals for trading the No.
10 overall pick for Dexter Lawrence, as they should be. ESPN’s Field Yates is among them, noting how the Bengals were wise to upgrade the defensive tackle position with a current NFL player, as this year’s draft class is lacking at that particular position. NFL Network reporter Daniel Jeremiah took it a step further, saying that both he and an NFL GM thought the Bengals were “screwed” if they kept the No.
10 overall pick. I was on the phone with a GM less than an hour ago running through top 10 scenarios. The way we had it going, we both said, “the bengals are screwed.
” Well, not anymore. This trade makes a ton of sense for them. — Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 19, 2026 The steep prices paid by the Bengals for Dexter Lawrence underscores two important points about this draft class: This is not a strong draft at the top.