This was the vision. That’s why the Bengals moved all their chips to the center of the table when they traded for Dexter Lawrence in mid-April. Forget the 10th overall pick. The Bengals traded for, arguably, the best nose tackle in the NFL. So far, the return on investment has been everything the Bengals could have imagined… and then some.
It’s not just that Lawrence had a tremendous performance on Sunday in Houston, highlighted by his run stuff on 4th-and-inches on Texans’ running back David Montgomery in the second quarter. Listen to any interview with Dexter Lawrence, whether it’s a sit-down or a locker-room chat with reporters. Lawrence provides incredible insight, and it’s more than just tried-and-true answers that athletes can give in those settings. Every time I hear Lawrence talk, I learn something. That’s a high compliment to pay someone.
Joe Burrow was on the Gronk and Jules Show earlier this week, a new show on the NFL on FOX YouTube channel with NFL on FOX analysts Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Edelman asked Joe Burrow to describe the Bengals’ star players with one word. For Lawrence, Burrow paused and said, “huge.” That’s so true in more ways than one.
Yes, Lawrence is a massive presence up in the middle. But his presence is also huge in terms of leadership. Lawrence is the leader of this Bengals’ defense. He’s setting the tone up front, and it makes the entire defense better. The culture on the Bengals’ defense changed the moment Lawrence got here. Here’s a veteran who’s great at what he does and has done it at a high level. It’s his presence on the field and in the locker room that has completely changed this defense, and it has reset the culture of the entire Bengals’ locker room.
Lawrence isn’t just an alpha. He’s a leader, something this Bengals’ defense has needed for the last three years. They got it in a trade for Dexter Lawrence. So far through two games, the return on investment is exactly what the Bengals envisioned on the field and in the locker room.