Cincinnati has acquired veteran defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from New York in exchange for the 10th overall selection in this week’s NFL Draft, multiple sources confirmed Saturday evening.
The 28-year-old Lawrence had asked for a trade from the Giants last week and skipped the team’s offseason workouts following stalled negotiations on a contract extension.
With this deal, New York now possesses both the fifth and 10th picks in Thursday’s first round.
According to NFL Network, Cincinnati plans to sign Lawrence to a new contract extension. Lawrence is currently scheduled to make $18.5 million in base salary for 2026 and remains under contract through 2027, though no guaranteed money is left on his current deal.
Originally selected 17th overall by New York in 2019 from Clemson, Lawrence has accumulated 341 tackles, 30.5 sacks and 103 quarterback hits across 109 games with 102 starts during his seven-year career with the Giants.
Lawrence earned Pro Bowl selections from 2022 through 2024, though he did not receive the honor last season despite starting all 17 games and recording 31 tackles, 0.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one interception.
The Bengals have already strengthened their defensive front this offseason by signing former Seattle pass rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and former Minnesota defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million agreement.
