Dexter Lawrence's Immediate Reaction to Bengals Trade Revealed

The Cincinnati Bengals made an extremely rare move on Saturday night, trading their No. 10 overall pick in this week's NFL draft in exchange for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Lawrence spent the past seven seasons with the New York Giants and had been seeking a contract extension. The two sides were unable to come to terms, ultimately leading to his trade request.

New York honored that request, and the Giants will now hold the No. 5 and No. 10 overall picks on Thursday night. The Bengals, meanwhile, didn't wait long to lock in their new addition, agreeing to a one-year, $28 million extension that keeps Lawrence in Cincinnati for at least the next three seasons.

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Lawrence has established himself as one of the NFL's top interior defensive tackles, and his immediate reaction to the trade was shared by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Sunday morning as he arrived in Cincinnati to complete his physical and sign the extension.

Fowler said a source described Lawrence as "jacked" about joining the Bengals.

"He gets to go play with Joe Burrow and chase a championship - they're in their window right now," Fowler said. "He likes the change of scenery and is very happy about it."

The Bengals were urged, after missing the postseason in each of the last three seasons with a league-worst defense, to go "all-in" with Burrow at quarterback - and it appears they've finally listened.

This offseason, Cincinnati has added Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, and Kyle Dugger on the defensive side of the ball, while retaining nearly their entire offense.

So while they had to part with a top-10 pick, they still hold the rest of their draft capital, have added an elite interior pass rusher and run stopper, and believe they now have a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl.

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 10:58 AM.