Giants 'hurt' by blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade to the Bengals: report

The Cincinnati Bengals had never traded a top-10 pick for a player in the common draft era since 1966, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Bengals traded their 2026 No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants in exchange for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. While the Giants are likely thrilled to now hold the Nos. 5 and 10 overall picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer Albert Breer contextualized how difficult it was for the Giants to part ways with Lawrence. "I do know that they wanted to hold onto him," Breer said on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday. "I know this does hurt for them." Lawrence requested a trade earlier this month, but according to Breer, this has been a long time coming. "It goes back to the combine in 2025," he said. "After having a really great year in 2024, Lawrence wanted a market correction on his contract. Because it was three years early, the Giants didn't want to set that precedent. Months later, they agree to an incentive package, and then they circle back this year." To illustrate just how much the Giants wanted to keep Lawrence, whom head coach John Harbaugh called "a cornerstone" for the team, Breer shared that the Bengals offered the 10th overall pick a full week before the Giants agreed to the trade. Lawrence had less leverage this offseason than last after 2025 was his least productive year statistically. The three-time Pro Bowler posted career lows in sacks (0.5), tackles (31), and quarterback hits (8). Entering his age-29 season, the pressure is on Lawrence to improve a Bengals defense that has held them back for three years. Cincinnati clearly believes last season was an anomaly, as Lawrence received a one-year, $28 million extension after the trade.