B.J. Hill Ready to Have 'My Brother Playing Beside Me' in Star Addition Dexter Lawrence

There are plenty of excited Bengals players who welcomed Dexter Lawrence to the squad this weekend. None may be more excited than his good friend and old-turned-new teammate again, B.J. Hill.

The two will line up next to each other again in the trenches after playing together in New York during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He knows firsthand just how much of an impact the two-time second-team All-Pro can have on a defense.

Buddies Reunited

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) leads the defense onto the field before the NFL football game between Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 2, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lawrence only had a half sack last season, but still posted 34 pressures and has never had an NFL season with fewer than 29 pressures.

"It was an exciting moment, just knowing I'm going to have my brother playing beside me. We've done it before, and now we get to do it again. Excited to have him in our room," Hill said at his locker.

Hill and Lawrence will mix with Jonathan Allen, Kris Jenkins, and T.J. Slaton as a defensive tackle rotation that looks much improved compared to last year's unit.

Cincinnati allowed 6.1 yards per play (last in the NFL) in 2025 and hemorrhaged rushing yards all season. That should change with a top-10 defensive tackle like Lawrence, who has commanded the most double teams of any defensive tackle in the NFL since 2024.

"Gonna make everybody's job easier," Hill said. "Mine, (Jonathan) Allen's the linebackers, safeties. So you love to have a guy that does what he does."

Lawrence seems just as excited to play with his old buddy, too.

"You've got to be uncomfortable to get comfortable," Lawrence said about this new experience on Monday. "When this opportunity came, I jumped at it because I knew I was going to be uncomfortable. I learned a lot of new names, moved to a new city, brought my family and my dogs, and find that place. So I knew it's going to be a little uncomfortable. That's the process, though. And I think I handled it well, and I handle those things well. So I was just excited to be here, especially with my dog, B.J. (Hill), to play with him. Get another opportunity to play with him. And take this thing to another level."

The love continues for Cincinnati's biggest offseason move of the decade.

Check out the full clip from Hill below via FOX19's Regan Holgate:

“He makes everyone’s job easier.”

BJ Hill is pretty pumped about the addition of Dexter Lawrence.#Bengals | @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/mFPEf8MKmO
— Regan Holgate (@HolgateRegan) April 20, 2026

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