Bengals land Dexter Lawrence from Giants for No 10 pick in draft-week splash

The Cincinnati Bengals acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants for the 10th overall pick in next week’s NFL draft, two people with knowledge of the trade told the Associated Press on Saturday night.

Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical.

The Giants now have the fifth and 10th picks in the first round. They’re heading into their first draft under new coach John Harbaugh after finishing 4-13 last season.

The Bengals paid a hefty price for the 28-year-old Lawrence, who asked for a trade because he wanted a new contract. He’s in the middle of a four-year, $90 million extension signed in 2023.

Barring a trade, it’ll be the first time Cincinnati don’t have a first-round pick since 1989, when the Bengals traded the next-to-last pick in the draft (No 27) to Atlanta for a second-round pick (No 35), a fourth (No 89) and a 10th (No 256).

The 6ft 4in, 340lb Lawrence had a career-high nine sacks in 2024, but only registered a half-sack last season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022-24 and was a second-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2022 and 2023.

The Bengals ranked near the bottom in several defensive categories last season. They were 31st in yards allowed, 30th in points allowed and 30th against the run.

With Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins leading a dynamic offense, improving the defense was a must this offseason. Lawrence gives Cincinnati a proven star in the middle of the defensive line, though the cost was steep.

The Giants will be the 22nd team in the common draft era (since 1967) to have two top 10 picks and fifth in the last five years. They did it in 2022 with Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth) and Evan Neal (seventh). The Bears took Caleb Williams first and Rome Odunze ninth in 2024. The Texans selected CJ Stroud second and Will Anderson Jr third in 2023. The Jets got Sauce Gardner fourth and Garrett Wilson 10th in 2022.

On Tuesday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen said the team was having productive talks with Lawrence’s camp.

“We’d like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we’ll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be,” Schoen said. “We’ll see. But conversations have been really good, they’ve been productive and we’ll see what happens here down the road.”

But owning two top 10 picks was too good to pass up.