NFL executives took note of the Cincinnati Bengals’ blockbuster trade to acquire Dexter Lawrence.
Three straight missed playoffs. A franchise quarterback openly questioning his future. And a fanbase that had run out of patience.
When the Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2026 offseason, the stakes of every decision were amplified beyond anything this organization had previously experienced. Fast forward to now and the decisions they made in response have drawn a reaction from around the NFL that nobody anticipated.
The biggest one occurred just before the draft. Cincinnati made a bold move to trade its 10th overall pick for three-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando canvassed the NFL executive pool to gauge reaction to Cincinnati’s decision to trade their most prized pick to the Giants for Lawrence. And the reviews revealed just how big of a deal it was.
“Execs applauded the Bengals’ decision to trade the 10th pick to the Giants for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence,” Sando wrote. “They saw it as the surest way available for the Bengals to upgrade their defense and demonstrate to quarterback Joe Burrow that the team was serious, two huge priorities this offseason.”
One executive drew a direct parallel to the NBA’s superstar retention model.
“This is like the NBA when you are trying to acquire guys to keep your star who is going to leave happy,” the exec said.
The anonymous comment makes sense when you put what the Bengals were navigating into perspective. Burrow had grown publicly frustrated about the team’s direction, and the front office responded with the kind of win-now aggression that franchises typically reserve for last resorts.
A second executive reinforced the sentiment with an even starker individual assessment. “Dexter Lawrence would be a top-five pick in this draft even at his age,” the executive told Sando. “There is no one like him in this draft. He can change their defense, coupled with what they did in free agency.”
NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported a similarly glowing evaluation from a general manager he spoke to separately.
“He thinks Dexter Lawrence is more talented than anybody in this year’s draft,” Breer said. “And he would take him even at his age with his mileage over any defensive player in this year’s draft.”
Lawrence leads the NFL with 108 pressures when lined up at nose tackle over the past four seasons, with Vita Vea a distant second at just 32. He signed a one-year, $28 million extension after passing his physical, structured to reduce his immediate cap hit while keeping him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Lawrence’s own reaction left little ambiguity about his motivation to bring the Lombardi trophy to Cincinnati.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “To be on this team with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, to be back with Tee again, Chase Brown — I told Tee, ‘We’ve got some unfinished business.’ That’s obviously our goal. Winning the Super Bowl.”
“I know they gave up a lot for me, and I appreciate that. I don’t take that for granted. I have a fire in me.”
For a front office that spent three years absorbing criticism, the external validation from around the league is noteworthy. The Bengals made the right roster moves, at least on paper. And they have now earned the praises of people who do this for a living.