CINCINNATI -- The New York Giants traded Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick in next week's draft, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday night.
The Giants now own the rights to the No. 5 and No. 10 picks in the first round.
The trade comes after the Giants and Lawrence reached an impasse in negotiations on a new deal. The former Clemson standout has two years remaining on his contract but no guaranteed money left. He eventually requested a trade after seven years with New York.
Lawrence, who will turn 29 in November, was a Pro Bowl selection from 2022 through 2024 and was an All-Pro finalist in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He has 30.5 sacks and 40 tackles for loss in 109 career games but is coming off a season with career lows in sacks (0.5) and tackles (33).
The move is a rare one for Cincinnati. According to ESPN Research, this is the first time the Bengals have traded a Top-10 pick for a player in the common draft era (since 1966).
The trade helps the Bengals solidify an offseason strategy built around strengthening the line of scrimmage. In free agency, Cincinnati signed former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year deal worth $60 million and added ex-Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jonathan Allen to a two-year deal worth $25 million.
Aside from those additions and the signing of former Kansas City safety Bryan Cook (three years, $40.25 million), Cincinnati had a relatively quiet offseason. But Lawrence's acquisition significantly changes the tenor of the Bengals' moves. Cincinnati is looking to quickly improve a defense that struggled last season as the team missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.
ESPN's Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.
