Fans knew immediately when news broke that the Cincinnati Bengals‘ trading away their 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence was a gamble. Lawrence was coming off a bad 2025 season, after all. But nearly a month after the star defensive tackle inked the contract with his new team, they’re getting some major dividends. Head coach Zac Taylor is pleasantly surprised by how good this deal has turned out.

“I was shocked that he was here every day,” Taylor said in a press conference on May 12. “Right after we traded for him, he just chose to jump right in and not miss a day initially,” Taylor said. “I think that just shows, I hate to speak for him, but just the excitement he has to be here with these guys in the locker room. Had a chance to meet with him one-on-one several times, love his personality.

“There’s certainly a level of excitement when the organization takes a swing on a guy like that and gives up the 10th pick in the draft and goes and gets a known commodity that really has uplifted this locker room. And, guys are excited to be around him, and he’s gonna make everybody around him better.”

Lawrence is now in his eighth NFL season. He knows the ins and outs of the league’s offseason program like the back of his hand. Despite that, he’s practically as excited to begin this journey as a kid is before they go on a rollercoaster ride.

“I have a fire in me,” Lawrence said when the trade was announced.

Since beginning his NFL career in 2019, he’s made three Pro Bowls and two second-team All-Pro selections. Those honors have come only after Lawrence pushed himself to the farthest possible limit, earning himself praise similar to Taylor’s from across the league. He continues to be dedicated even now, having started in 109 out of 117 regular-season games. Despite being one of the more seasoned veterans in the room, Lawrence made sure to gel with the team from the get-go.

The defensive tackle spent some time in the Bengals’ weight room before his introductory press conference in April. And, according to WLWT, he hasn’t missed a single day of offseason practice. He was not obligated to report to his new team until the mandatory minicamp begins in June, but Lawrence’s presence is sending the right message to everyone. He was also planning to skip voluntary workouts with the New York Giants, which showed that he was not going to give his 100% until he felt that respect coming from the team.

But his dedication is something that was respected by the Giants as well. In 2024, when Lawrence made Pro Bowl honors for the second time, former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said, “… [The] great thing with Dex is he’s stayed himself. … He hasn’t changed his work ethic or anything about him.”

The Bengals went all-in on getting Lawrence from the Giants. Joe Burrow reportedly pushed the staff a lot to get him on board, especially since they are locked in on making the postseason after a series of near-misses. Even though the defense is orchestrating a rebound, having a player like Lawrence is going to make this so much easier.

Dexter Lawrence is making his presence felt in Cincinnati

The Bengals’ defense has struggled mightily over the last couple of seasons. Last season, the only defense that rivaled them was that of the Dallas Cowboys. Cincinnati is also currently in the midst of a three-year playoff drought. That’s somewhat of a disaster for a team with Joe Burrow under center. So the mandate for Cincinnati entering this offseason was clear

With the departure of Trey Hendrickson to AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, Lawrence is now expected to step in as the anchor of this defense moving forward. He was the anchor that drove the Giants’ D-line, and is expected to play a similar role. Based on reports coming in from practice, this seems to be materializing for the Bengals.

“Force = Mass x Acceleration. That’s Newton’s Second Law of Motion…and a great way to describe Dexter Lawrence,” insider Dan Hoard wrote on X in his notes from the team’s practice session yesterday. He also shared a clip of Lawrence charging ahead in a running drill, leaving others behind.

His teammates have also got along with him very well. Defensive end Shemar Stewart, who is expected to be part of the rotation a lot more this season, gave up his jersey number for No. 97 to be No. 97. It wasn’t too big an ask from him, because Stewart thought of Lawrence as a “walking legend.”

“He earned that,” Stewart said of the number change.

The Cincinnati Bengals defense, with Lawrence leading the attack, is going to be an exciting storyline to follow this season.

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