Will Anderson Jr headline: Bengals land Dexter Lawrence for No. 10 pick
will anderson jr is not part of this trade, but Dexter Lawrence is. The Bengals got the 28-year-old defensive tackle from the Giants for the No. 10 overall pick and added a one-year, $28 million extension. Cincinnati made the move while trying to end a three-year playoff skid.
Lawrence Joins Cincinnati
The trade became official Monday when it hit the league transaction wire. Lawrence spent all seven of his NFL seasons with New York, then reached a deal that keeps him in Cincinnati on a short-term contract with a large price tag.
That price reflects both his track record and the urgency around the deal. Lawrence made three straight Pro Bowls from 2022 through 2024, giving the Bengals an interior defender with a long run of production even after a down year in 2025.
He had a career-high nine sacks the season before, then dropped to 0.5 sacks in 2025. The dip did not stop Cincinnati from paying for the player he had been before the regression, and it did not stop New York from cashing in the pick it wanted.
Giants Add Another Top-10 Pick
For the Giants, the return changes their draft board immediately. They already owned the No. 5 pick and now add Cincinnati's No. 10 selection, giving them two top-10 choices in Thursday's draft.
Lawrence had requested a trade on April 6 after contract extension talks stalled in New York. On April 14, contract talks were still at an impasse, and the deal that followed ended a standoff that had stretched into draft week.
The interior pressure is the part Cincinnati is buying. Since 2021, Lawrence has faced a 53.2 double-team percentage, the highest in the NFL among players with at least 750 snaps, and he has seen 1,103 double teams over the past five seasons, the only player in quadruple digits over that span.
That workload helps explain why the Bengals moved quickly once the trade was available. B.J. Hill ranks third in that same five-season span with 980 double teams, and Cincinnati now has another high-end body inside as it tries to reset a playoff run that has stalled for three straight years.
Zac Taylor’s New Interior Piece
Zac Taylor said, "We are excited to add Dexter to our team," and added, "He has been a dominant player in the league since he was drafted, and he will be a tremendous presence on the field and in our locker room." The quote fits the shape of the move: a premium pick out, a proven veteran in, and a contract that makes Lawrence part of the plan right away.
For the Giants, the next step is simple. They now own the No. 5 pick and Cincinnati's No. 10 pick, which gives them a much better hand as they keep building around the rest of the draft.
