The New York Giants traded All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Chicago Bears also attempted to acquire Lawrence before the trade was finalized.
Key points
Giants traded Dexter Lawrence to Bengals
Bengals received No. 10 pick in 2026 NFL draft
Lawrence was a disgruntled player
Bears attempted to acquire Lawrence before trade
Mentioned in this story
New York GiantsCincinnati BengalsChicago Bears
Dexter Lawrence
Bears attempted to acquire Dexter Lawrence from Giants before Bengals trade
Lawrence's trade was a big missed opportunity for the Bears, who were one of the teams rumored to be interested in the former All-Pro, but Cincinnati's offer was too good for New York to pass up. This week, it was revealed that the Bears reportedly were willing to offer the No. 25 pick in exchange for Lawrence, according to NFL Insider Tony Pauline.
Yes, No. 25 is not No. 10, and the Giants may have been stuck making that deal had the Bengals not come swinging down the lane with their deal.
The Giants ended up selecting Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa with the pick, a selection that was met with much enthusiasm by the Giants and their fans.
"For us, the most important thing was that it was a win for the Giants. That's what we cared about the most," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters about the trade on Thursday night after the team selected Mauigoa.
"We wanted Dexter to be happy, but we wanted the Giants to be taken care of first. That was our responsibility... To get the 10th pick in the draft, and then to see it play out tonight, it's pretty clear-cut that it's a W for us. Not that it wouldn't have been a W to keep Dexter, it sure would have been. But that didn't turn out to be possible. It wasn't something that he was really prioritizing in the end."
Harbaugh said that Mauigoa will start his Giants career at guard with the option to slide him out to tackle over time. The Giants have been in dire need of a tough guy on the interior of their offensive line for some time. Looks like they got themselves one.