Rival fans will be quick to pick apart the Cincinnati Bengals’ massive trade with the New York Giants for game-wrecking defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The three-time Pro Bowler is coming off a down year by his standards, and the salary cap enthusiasts out there will be skeptical that Cincinnati can pay Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Lawrence top-market contracts all at the same time.
The reality? The Bengals’ bold move to acquire Lawrence for the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft is the kind of win-now decision fans can only dream of.
The AFC North is in a state of transition, with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens all breaking in new head coaches. The Ravens just lost their all-world center, Tyler Linderbaum, in free agency. The Browns don’t appear to know who their starting center will be ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Steelers? They don’t yet know who their quarterback will be, though all signs point to them crawling back to the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, whose pass protection was suspect at best last season.
So while the Bengals passed on landing a potential impact rookie in this draft, like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, by giving up the No. 10 overall pick, the opportunity to add the NFL’s most disruptive nose tackle makes sense. As analytics expert Warren Sharp wrote on Sunday morning, Lawrence’s impact was much bigger than the box score showed for the Giants during the 2025 season.
The Bengals might’ve just added an unstoppable force that the Browns, Ravens, and Steelers aren’t yet equipped to handle.
“Dexter Lawrence is a 28-year-old stud,” Sharp wrote. “He spent most of his career playing vs elite interior OLs of the Eagles & Cowboys. He's been double-teamed at the highest rate in the NFL. He's now playing in the AFC North.”
The Bengals made their move and now it’s Cleveland’s turn
Per Sharp, the Giants ranked top-15 in the NFL on defense in pass success, yards per attempt, sack rate, EPA per pass, and pressure rate with Lawrence on the field. Without him? They ranked 23rd or below in every metric, including 32nd in yards per attempt and 31st in sack rate.
Lawrence’s impact is similar to what the Browns have experienced with Myles Garrett on the edge. Opponents game plan specifically around that one dominant player, which can be advantageous for the team overall from a scheme perspective.
The good news for Cleveland is that it’s already gotten a strong head start on bolstering the interior of its offensive line this offseason. The Browns should be able to lean on the experience and versatility of both Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson as they transition into Year 1 of Todd Monken’s program.
That work is far from finished, though, and the need for another interior lineman — particularly one who can develop into a long-term solution at center — just moved up the priority list following Cincinnati’s bold trade.
Jenkins arrives in Berea as a Pro Bowl guard with experience at both center and tackle. He served as the Packers’ starting center in 2025, so it’s possible that he ends up manning that spot for the Browns, at least as a stopgap for 2026. Cleveland’s next best option on the current roster is Luke Wypler, a sixth-round pick in 2023 who played 271 snaps in a reserve role last year.
Lawrence could put significant pressure on the Browns’ interior group as a whole. Johnson was far from a dominant force, which is why the Los Angeles Chargers were OK letting their former No. 17 overall draft pick walk as a free agent. The best offensive linemen in football rarely get the chance to test free agency. Through that lens, Cleveland’s current core of Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins, Wypler, and Zak Zinter could fail to be the fix up front that fans are banking on.
The most logical rebuttal would be for Cleveland to prioritize an interior lineman in this year’s draft, potentially with one of their four picks inside the top 70. The top offensive tackles in this year’s class are projected to either be Week 1 contributors at right tackle, or at one of the guard spots. It will also be interesting to see if one of the top interior prospects, like Vega Ioane or Max Iheanachor, could pique their interest.
The Browns will enter this week’s draft with nine total selections and clear needs at swing tackle, center, and right guard. What the Bengals are doing shouldn’t alter Cleveland’s approach entirely, but if the Browns really want to compete in what should be a wide-open division race in 2026, some type of response is in order.
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