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Bengals Trade No. 10 for Dexter Lawrence, Add Defensive Picks

4/27/2026

Summary

Bengals Trade

The Bengals traded the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
They selected Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell with the No. 41 pick in the second round.
They drafted Washington cornerback Tacario Davis at No. 73 in the third round and Auburn center Connor Lew at No. 112 in the fourth round.
Analysts graded the class from A- to C-, praising the Lawrence trade and defensive emphasis.

Summary

Bengals Sign

T.J. Slaton’s $9.6 million cap hit makes him the contender in a tackle battle with Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson.
Zac Taylor says scouting stays unchanged; GM Duke Tobin says decisions are egoless and collaborative.
The Bengals signed nine undrafted free agents (UDFAs), Christian Jones, who will challenge Cody Ford for swing-tackle duties, and Colbie Young, who will compete with Andrei Iosivas for snaps beside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Summary

Bengals Leverage Analytics

The Bengals used an analytics crew—Francis, Gross and LaBounty—in a live-screen cockpit that gave instant trade-value answers.
The cockpit data prompted the team to swap a sixth-round pick for the Jets’ fourth-rounder, securing two starters.
GM Duke Tobin said the staff stayed calm after the Texans chose center Febechi Nwaiwu at No. 106, noting three centers were on their list.
Selections favored blockers like receiver Colbie Young for Joe Burrow’s offense.

History

Historical Context

During the mid-1990s the Dallas Cowboys employed analytical trade strategies, illustrated by the 1995 draft move that sent their 28th-overall first-round pick to Tampa Bay for two second-round selections. Decades later the Cincinnati Bengals adopted a comparable data-driven approach, using an analytics cockpit to assess trades like the Dexter Lawrence deal. The evolution highlights the NFL’s growing reliance on quantitative scouting.

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Bengals Trade

The Bengals traded the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
They selected Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell with the No. 41 pick in the second round.
They drafted Washington cornerback Tacario Davis at No. 73 in the third round and Auburn center Connor Lew at No. 112 in the fourth round.
Analysts graded the class from A- to C-, praising the Lawrence trade and defensive emphasis.

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