The Cincinnati Bengals swung a massive trade over the weekend with the New York Giants, sending the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Dexter Lawrence.
Adding a defensive tackle like Lawrence will be a big help for the defense. But, the 10th pick in the draft is a lot to give up for a player, especially since they had to extend him to a $28 million deal to bump up his contract to three-years, $70 million.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared some insight from NFL executives that revealed why this trade wasn’t an overpay for the Bengals.
Why Bengals didn’t overpay in Dexter Lawrence trade
“For starters, the defensive tackle group in this year’s draft is not considered strong,” Schefter writes. “But one general manager said the defensive tackles in the next two drafts are sub-standard.”
With the weaker defensive tackle class this year, there was ample reason for the Bengals to spend a good amount on one of the better players at the position in a trade.
But, factoring in that the 2027 draft class at defensive tackle isn’t great either, according to this anonymous general manager, then this trade begins to make even more sense.
More: Boye Mafe signing might’ve been a mistake by the Bengals
The Bengals swinging this trade for Lawrence costs a lot, but the team is resolving a huge need for the next three years with the expectation that the draft classes at DT aren’t appealing.
While there might be some decent players to come out of the draft class at both positions the next two years, the overall classes aren’t nearly as good as they’ve been in the past.
Instead of forcing a selection, the Bengals might be better off spending the premium pick they own on a top defensive tackle.
Add in that the players who could be on the board at No. 10 might not be their cup of tea, and the Bengals trade for Lawrence, even though it seems like an overpay on paper, makes a lot of sense.
