Bengals Offensive Linemen Weigh in on 'Generational,' Nightmare Opponent Turned Teammate in Dexter Lawrence

The summer just got harder and more intense for members of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line.

And they couldn’t be more thrilled about it, especially center Ted Karras.

While much of the conversation surrounding the acquisition of Dexter Lawrence has been on how it will impact the Bengals defense, offensive players such as Karras, tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims and guard Dalton Risner are well aware of the impact the three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle is going to have on them in the dog days of training camp.

Many of them went out to dinner with Lawrence on Sunday night as they arrived in town for Monday’s first day of the voluntary offseason program.

Brown has faced Lawrence the most, three times in his career with the Ravens, Chiefs and Bengals.

But it’s the interior guys such as Karras, who has played him twice, and Risner (once) who have logged more head-to-head reps.

“He’s a generational talent,” Risner said.

“He’s a big, scary player,” Karras added. “He’s one of those guys that’s so big and strong and fast, you can feel your arms collapse into you.

“When the schedule comes out and you’ve got Dexter Lawrence, as a center you’re circling that game from May onward,” Karras added. “I’m excited that we have a guy that elicits fear in opposing offensive lines.”

Karras went head-to-head with Lawrence in a Sunday night game in 2024, one the Bengals won 17-7 at MetLife Stadium. But Lawrence had one of his nine sacks that season in the game.

Lawrence doesn’t remember that game for the sack he had of Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow with 94 seconds remaining. He remembers if for Burrow’s 47-yard touchdown run on the opening series of the game.

“That pissed me off,” Lawrence said Monday after getting in a lift with his new teammates. “That’s all I think about. That pissed me off. Now I’m on the same side, so it won’t piss me off anymore.”

Mims started that game as a rookie.

As a right tackle, he didn’t square up with Lawrence often, but when he did, “it was a nightmare trying to block him.

“I don’t think there’s one guy that can stop him,” Mims added.

Even when Mims didn’t have to block Lawrence, he was focused on him.

“Our whole game plan was centered around him,” he said. “I feel like it takes a whole line to get on him.”

Brown has faced Lawrence the most often with three career games against him, but again in limited straight up blocks given their alignment.

Brown has immense respect for the elite edge rushers, knowing how they challenge him week in and week out. But he admitted that nose tackles are a different breed.

“Honestly, the nose tackle is one of the most appreciated positions in football and has been for a long time. It's hard to be a great football team without one, and we got the best.”

Lawrence is revered throughout the league, which is why the Bengals had to give up the No. 10 pick in the draft to obtain him.

Some questioned whether they overpaid.

Karras said the Bengals got a steal.

“He’ll probably have 50 times the impact of any No. 10 pick as a rookie,” he said. “There’s a great jolt of energy to start spring (20)26. Everyone’s excited.”

Karras said he was driving to Cincinnati from Florida on Saturday night when he found out from his dad about the trade. Shortly after that, his phone started blowing up with teammates reaching out.

Head coach Zac Taylor’s did, too.

He knew the wheels were in motion but also knew not to get too excited until the deal was signed. He was at a basketball tournament in Chicago with one of his sons when he got official word.

“It’s hard to keep the smile off your face,” he said. “Until it's on the dotted line, you don't want to say anything to anybody.”

Like Karras, Taylor sensed the immediate impact of the trade when his phone started lighting up.

“I felt it with the amount of players that communicated with me through calls or texts Saturday night, Sunday,” he said. “You feel that energy from them. You just feel it around the building. It's indescribable a little bit. You can't really put it into words. I was out and about, all over the region and all over the community yesterday. I had I think six sporting events in Cincinnati yesterday that I was at, and you could feel the buzz about it.”

Both Karras and Mims mentioned that as well, the building excitement outside of Paycor Stadium.

Mims was asked about the jolt it gave to the locker room.

“You said ‘locker room,’ but I feel like the whole city of Cincinnati is excited,” he said.

“Bengals Twittersphere, I’m happy for you guys if you feel like we’re all in,” he said. “But I’ve always f—king been all in.”

Mims, who couldn’t stop smiling while talking about the team acquiring Lawrence, said you don’t need to lock up with Lawrence on a football field to feels his power.

“We went to dinner last night, and I'm a big dude, so I shake his hand and it’s two big guys so I’m kind of like bring it in, and I went backward and he stood there,” Mims said. “I’m like ‘Oh, man.’ I’m happy he’s here. I’m happy we’re teammates, and I feel bad for the opposing offensive lines.”

While so much of the conversations were centered on Lawrence, all four offensive linemen were quick to praise the front office for the entire body of work in the offseason, pointing to the other defensive line additions of Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen, plus emerging 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy and 2025 first rounder Shemar Stewart and veteran former Lawrence teammate in New York, B.J. Hill.

“We’ve got a big, scary D line,” Karras said. “It’s really exciting. We’re gonna sharpen our swords in camp and see what we can do this year. Let’s go do something this year.”

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