Bengals land Dexter Lawrence

The Cincinnati Bengals have traded for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, sending the No. 10 pick in the 2026 National Football League draft to the New York Giants. (bengals.com) Cincinnati announced the deal on April 19 and said it also signed Lawrence to a one-year contract extension through the 2028 season. The Giants confirmed the return on April 20 after the trade became official. (bengals.com) (giants.com) Lawrence is 6-foot-4 and 342 pounds, entering his eighth National Football League season after New York drafted him in the first round in 2019 out of Clemson. He made the Pro Bowl three times with the Giants. (bengals.com) (nfl.com) The trade lands four days before the first round of the 2026 draft, where New York now controls the No. 5 and No. 10 picks. ESPN reported the move followed an impasse on a new contract and a trade request from Lawrence, who had two years left on his prior deal with no guaranteed money remaining. (espn.com) (giants.com) For the Bengals, the move shifts draft capital into a veteran starter at one of the league’s most expensive positions to fill in free agency. Cincinnati’s announcement framed Lawrence as an immediate addition to the middle of its defensive front. (bengals.com) (nfl.com) For the Giants, the return gives general manager Joe Schoen another top-10 selection in a draft that starts Thursday, April 23. New York’s official release said the club added Cincinnati’s pick outright, giving it two early first-round choices. (giants.com) The deal also closes a standoff that had become public in the days before the draft. NFL Network reported Saturday night that Lawrence had “got his trade wish,” while Cincinnati added the extension Sunday morning. (nfl.com) The next marker is Thursday night’s first round, when the Giants will make picks at No. 5 and No. 10 and the Bengals will go into Day 1 without their original first-round slot. (giants.com) (espn.com)