Sam Monson Makes Bold Claim About Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence

Sam Monson of Check the Mic discussed the Cincinnati Bengals' defense on Tuesday afternoon, saying Dexter Lawrence is one of the players in the NFL he is most excited to watch this season for multiple reasons.

Rather shockingly, Monson said he believes Lawrence is a top-five player in the NFL because of how good he is at his niche role of rushing the passer from the nose tackle position. He clarified that he does not know whether the Bengals will use him in that specific role. Monson even went on to say he thinks Lawrence might be as good as anyone who has ever played the nose tackle position in NFL history.

His ability to rush the passer from that spot, rather than simply clog running lanes, is what sets him apart.

Everything Monson said makes sense. When you look at interior defensive tackles in the NFL, the list of truly elite players is relatively short. Players like Vita Vea, Leonard Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Chris Jones and Jalen Carter come to mind.

Not all of them play a true nose tackle role as Lawrence does, which gives him added value and makes him even more intriguing. Monson also brought up the circumstances surrounding Lawrence's last two seasons in the NFL as reasons some people might be undervaluing him and not talking enough about his addition to the Bengals.

Lawrence struggled with an elbow injury that limited him in 2024. Then, during the 2025 offseason, there was drama surrounding his contract, which Monson said led to Lawrence reporting to training camp overweight and, in his opinion, not giving his best effort during camp or the 2025 season. Lawrence finished with just half a sack and 31 tackles in 17 games, both career lows for a single season.

Now that he has been taken care of financially and is away from New York on a contender, Lawrence should be in a better headspace and a better position to be the elite defensive tackle the Bengals believe he is. That is why they were willing to trade the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for his services. It's also clear that Lawrence has taken on a leadership role during his few months in a Bengals uniform. 

Lawrence, alongside a revamped defensive line featuring Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen, as well as the addition of safety Bryan Cook and, as Monson mentioned, an already strong cornerback room with DJ Turner and Dax Hill, can do so much for this defensive unit.