Dexter Lawrence went from the top-ranked defensive tackle in football to seventh in ESPN’s latest positional rankings. That’s a big drop for a guy who spent years terrorizing offensive linemen. But here’s the thing: the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t trade a first-round pick for him because of what he did last season. They traded for what they believe he’ll do next.
Lawrence’s 2025 numbers weren’t pretty. He finished with 31 tackles, eight quarterback hits, and half a sack. For a three-time Pro Bowler, that’s a quiet year. He also missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2022. But anyone who watched him knows the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pointed out that Lawrence faced double-teams on 71.3% of his pass-rush snaps, the highest rate in the league among players with at least 300 opportunities. That’s not nothing. That’s respect. That’s offensive coordinators saying, ‘We cannot let this guy wreck the game by himself.’
“No defensive tackle gets more attention from offensive lines,” Fowler wrote.
So why the drop? Part of it might be the environment. Lawrence was unhappy in New York. The Giants were a mess last season, and it showed in his play. One NFC scout told Fowler, “I think he’ll be rejuvenated there. He wasn’t happy in New York. He’s got to keep his conditioning in check, but when he’s at his best, he’s next to impossible to block.”
That’s the bet the Bengals are making. They saw enough on tape. Pro Football Focus graded Lawrence 75.6 overall (ninth among 134 defensive linemen) and 84.5 as a pass rusher (seventh). For a guy who’s still just 28 and has 341 tackles, 103 quarterback hits, and 30.5 sacks over his career, that’s not a bad foundation.
The Bigger Picture for Cincinnati
The Bengals’ defense needed a jolt. They’ve been too passive up front, too easy to run against. Lawrence changes that. He’s not just a gap-filler. He’s a guy who demands two blockers, which frees up everyone else. Edge rushers feast when the middle is clogged by a human wrecking ball.
And the Bengals know they’re not getting the version of Lawrence who took the rankings hit personally. They’re getting a guy who wanted out of New York, who wanted a fresh start, who wanted to play for a contender. That matters.
Will he bounce back to No. 1? Fowler’s ranking already suggests a rebound is possible. But Lawrence and the Bengals care more about January than July. If he looks like the guy who dominated from 2022 through 2024, nobody will remember he was seventh on some list.
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