Unique quality of Bengals’ trade for Dexter Lawrence makes it look even better in hindsight
Dexter Lawrence was acquired by the Bengals for a first-round pick. He was also not the only player traded for that level of compensation in recent months. But the trade does stand out in an interesting way.
Cincinnati Bengals fans have never before seen their team trade for a player like Dexter Lawrence.
Lawrence was acquired by the Bengals for a first-round pick. He was also not the only player traded for that level of compensation in recent months.
But the trade does stand out in an interesting way.
Bengals’ Dexter Lawrence trade differs compared to recent blockbuster deals
Lawrence being dealt to Cincinnati was the last major trade before the blockbuster deal that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. The Cleveland Browns, per multiple ESPN insiders and writers, used recent trades such as the one involving Lawrence to figure out a return value for Garrett.
All the deals that were used as precedent involved a first-round pick, but only Lawrence was traded for just a first without any additional picks.
In fact, when assessing value in the Garrett trade, the Browns surveyed the landscape of trades over the past year, per a source, specifically for non-quarterback superstars. They didn’t have to look far to find them: Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens (reversed), Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, McDuffie to the Rams, Waddle to the Broncos. All those deals yielded at least a first-round pick, three of them involved multiple firsts, and all but Lawrence included at least one other pick in the first three rounds. And they all took place within the past 9½ months.
Jeremy Fowler, Sarah Barshop, Mike Reiss, Daniel Oyefusi, Tim McManus
ESPN NFL insiders, writers
The Lawrence trade dominated headlines because of the timing and the value of the pick that was giving up for him. Cincinnati sent its No. 10 overall pick for the three-time Pro Bowler a week before the 2026 NFL Draft.
There were rumors of Lawrence netting a late-first or a combination of Day 2 draft picks. A top-10 pick being the final price subverted expectations.
And yet, every other comparable trade over the last year required multiple picks to make happen.
Garrett ended up costing the Los Angeles Rams a first-rounder, two future Day 2 picks, and two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse. It’s tough to gauge whether or not the Lawrence deal had any impact on the Browns’ negotiating power, but it did in fact stand alone in comparison to others.
The cost of landing Lawrence has already been paid in full
L.A. and other clubs will either still be dealing with the cost of their trades next year, or have already felt a multi-year impact thanks to future picks being part of the price. Cincinnati, on the other hand, has all of its draft selections at its disposal going forward.
The value of a top-10 pick helped the Bengals here immensely. The draft order was already established instead of a complete unknown like it was when other trades were finalized. Cincy didn’t have to cough up extra capital because the pick was strong enough on its own.
Lawrence will need to be his Pro Bowl-self and the Bengals need to make another playoff run for the trade to work out in their favor, but they can already look back on the deal with a smile knowing what other teams had to give up for similar players.