CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Bengals will have a very rare quiet first day of the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s because they made so much noise on Saturday when they traded the 10th pick for Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor reacted to the Dexter Lawrence trade, sharing how the move impacts the team and expectations.

On Saturday, with less than a week before the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Giants traded nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick on Thursday night.

The Bengals signed DL Dexter Lawrence to a one-year contract extension following a trade from the New York Giants that includes a $10 million roster bonus, an $8.125 million option in 2027, and up to $1 million annually in per-game active roster bonuses.

New York Giants LB Brian Burns didn't want to see Dexter Lawrence traded, and now has thoughts on how Lawrence should be replaced.

With the Dexter Lawrence trade in the rearview mirror, we project how John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen will leverage picks No. 5 and No. 10 to establish a physical new identity in East Rutherford.