Trade Grades From Across The NFL Have Polarizing Takes on Bengals' Dexter Lawrence Deal

The grades are in for Cincinnati's straight-up trade to add Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants.

Cincinnati made the historic move to trade away a top-10 pick for the first time this century (No. 10 overall) to bolster their coffers with one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL.

They also inked him to a one-year, $28 million contract to tie him to the team through 2028. The deal has taken on a polarizing status across the NFL coverage arms.

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) speaks at a press conference during day one of the New York Giants training camp at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Check out all of the top grades for Cincinnati's side of the deal below:

The Athletic: A-

"It’s an aggressive move, but the Bengals have to stop wasting Joe Burrow’s prime years," Jeff Howe wrote. "The defense was in total disarray over the past two seasons, and the firing of coordinator Lou Anarumo following the 2024 season was always a curious move, especially since they got worse in the aftermath. The contractual spat with defensive end Trey Hendrickson became an exhausting storyline before he left last month in free agency.

"So yeah, the Bengals need to get the pendulum swinging in the other direction, and Lawrence helps after Cincinnati already added defensive end Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in free agency. They might have drafted Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. or LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the 10th pick in the draft, but the Bengals — and Burrow — need the jolt now."

ESPN: D

"I've always loved Lawrence as a player, but I am stunned by the draft capital the Bengals spent to get him," Seth Walder wrote. "The No. 10 pick -- straight up! What's almost as shocking is that the Bengals, who rarely make trades, were the ones who pulled off the deal. At the peak of his powers, Lawrence has been incredible. He was exceptional in 2022 and 2023. During those two seasons, Lawrence's 17.5% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle ranked third best, behind only Aaron Donald and Chris Jones. But unlike those other two pass-rushing savants, Lawrence delivered that production mostly playing nose tackle, which is what made him so special and valuable.

"He was double-teamed on 68% of his defensive tackle pass rushes during that span, which put him in the 93rd percentile for the position (though that was not unique compared with Donald and Jones). Lawrence recorded 12.0 sacks in those two years -- though I think that undersells his impact -- and he was an AP second-team All-Pro in each of those seasons. Though his run-stopping win rate was only average those years, his run-stopping reputation is much, much stronger than that. In 2024, he recorded 9.0 sacks in only 12 games, but his pass rush win rate dropped suddenly, to just 6.8% (30th percentile) before an elbow injury knocked him out for the final five games of the year. His pressure rate fell from 10.0% in 2023 to 6.3% in 2024.

"In 2025, Lawrence's play seemed to fall further, as he delivered an 8.4% pass rush win rate and a 5.3% pressure rate but with -- jarringly -- just 0.5 sacks. And just 50% of Lawrence's pass rushes last season came playing 0-technique or 1-technique, compared with 70% during 2022 and 2023. The Bengals are getting a player who -- if Lawrence can return to his form of several years ago -- could be in the mix for the best defensive tackle in the league, and very likely the best nose tackle. But that is an awfully large 'if' considering that Lawrence is not coming off one of his peak seasons. The Bengals are desperate to improve a defense that has let them down significantly in recent years. Lawrence, combined with free agent addition Boye Mafe, should give them some pass-rushing and run-stopping juice. And perhaps they are looking at the draft and thinking it's devoid of top-tier talent.

"But value-wise, I don't see how the Bengals make this move. This isn't a late first-round pick; Cincinnati is surrendering the No. 10 pick to (presumably) pay Lawrence and find out if he can return to his form from a couple of years ago. That's not the kind of bet I would want to make! I'm working under the assumption that the Bengals will give Lawrence a new contract. The defensive tackle was in line to make $20 million in 2026 without any remaining money on his deal, and contract talks between the Giants and Lawrence reached an impasse last week."

Sporting News: C

"Make no mistake: the Bengals badly need a talent infusion on their defense, and that was true even before Trey Hendrickson's exit in free agency," Dan Treacy wrote. "Lawrence makes their defense better from day one, and a stronger defense is critical to Cincinnati's hopes of returning to the playoffs with Joe Burrow. This is still a hefty price to pay for a player heading into his eighth season who is presumably asking to become one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. The Bengals might not get a player of Lawrence's caliber with the No. 10 pick — ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the team considers 2026 'a big year' and wants an immediate impact — but considering how much more cost-controlled that player would be, Cincinnati has to hope Lawrence plays like an All-Pro to live up to this deal.

"Instead, a Bengals team that needs help just about everywhere other than the skill positions now owns only three top-180 picks in the 2026 draft. The Bengals are betting that Lawrence will prove his 2025 was an aberration. He wasn't as effective at getting to the passer or stopping the run, something he owed to playing through an elbow injury. Lawrence was much more effective in 2024 and even more effective in 2022 and 2023, when he was an All-Pro Second-Team selection. It's certainly possible Lawrence becomes that type of player again, but there is enough uncertainty to say this trade could be looked back upon as a desperation move."

CBS Sports: B

"This move is pretty un-Bengals-like. This franchise is famous for waiting too long to pay star players, like defensive end Trey Hendrickson," Jordan Dajani wrote. "Cincy watched him put up back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, and still didn't want to commit to him. Now, they trade a top 10 pick for a defensive tackle coming off his worst NFL season, and start working on giving him a massive raise? Yes, Lawrence is a bit younger than Hendrickson at 28 years old, but still, it's surprising.

"While the compensation was unexpected, the Bengals were viewed as a natural landing spot for Lawrence. A contender with a tragic defense that needed to make a major move. We knew the Giants wanted a first-round pick for their star defensive tackle ... but a top-10 pick? Wow. As we noted, the Bengals' 62 draft picks on defense since 2011 haven't made a single Pro Bowl. It's the longest active drought for an NFL team that hasn't drafted a homegrown Pro Bowler on defense. The last defensive players the Bengals drafted that made a Pro Bowl for the franchise were Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap in 2010.

"While this was a high price to pay, this year's draft class is not considered especially strong. You're not finding a Dexter Lawrence at No. 10 overall. Maybe we need to see the new contract before being able to accurately grade this deal. CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones speculated that Lawrence should receive a new AAV in the high-20s (UPDATE: He is averaging $23.3 million per year with Cincinnati). Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs is currently the highest-paid interior defensive lineman at $31.75 million per year."

USA Today: B

"A team that's finished second to last league-wide in total defense in two of the past three seasons (and 25th overall in 2024) continues to get a major remake on that side of the ball," Nate Davis wrote. "The acquisition of Lawrence, who's just 28, comes at a time when the team seems to have as good a shot as any to win its division − especially with Burrow in his prime. And given how weak the 2026 draft seems to be on top-tier talent, and especially so at defensive tackle, this seems like a calculated risk that could pay off handsomely − despite its cost in draft capital and actual funds. Lawrence will obviously need to play better than he did in 2025."

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