The New York Giants are trading star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in a blockbuster deal, per multiple reports.
In return, the Bengals are sending their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (No. 10 overall) to the Giants.
It’s a huge deal for both teams as the Bengals land arguably the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the NFL right now, while the Giants add another top-10 selection in this year’s draft. New York already owns the No. 5 overall pick.
For the Bengals, Lawrence fills a massive need in the defensive trenches, where they’ve lacked a true difference-maker since Geno Atkins was wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. This year’s draft is light on blue-chip talent at the position, and it’s unlikely they would have found a similar player with the No. 10 pick. While they could have had some strong options at other positions of need on defense (defensive end, defensive back). Lawrence gives them a proven presence who can make a massive impact right away.
For the Giants, the John Harbaugh era will begin with a pair of top-10 selections, with which they can fill any number of immediate needs. Lawrence’s departure obviously leaves them with a gaping hole along the interior of their defensive line, but they could address that in the second round after targeting any combination of a wide receiver, linebacker, defensive back of offensive lineman with those two top-10 picks.
Earlier this week, the Giants showed notable interest in Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who could now be their primary target with that No. 10 overall selection:
This isn’t likely to be the last big trade that shakes up the top of the board in this year’s draft, but it looks like the chaos is starting early as we look ahead to next week in Pittsburgh.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.