When the Cincinnati Bengals traded a first-round pick to acquire Dexter Lawrence this offseason, the expectation was that the three-time Pro Bowler would transform a defense that desperately needed a game-wrecker in the middle.
One week into training camp, it sounds like that transformation is already underway.
From Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase to the offensive line tasked with blocking him every day, the reviews have been remarkably consistent: Lawrence has been every bit as disruptive as advertised.
And while it has made practices far more difficult for Cincinnati’s offense, it’s exactly the kind of challenge the Bengals believe will make them a better football team when the games begin.
The loudest endorsement came from Chase, who didn’t mince words when describing the veteran defensive tackle’s impact.
“Honestly, he’s been terrorizing practice,” Chase said, via Yahoo! Sports. “I can honestly say that.”
That’s about as glowing a compliment as a wide receiver can give a defensive tackle.
Joe Burrow has already felt Lawrence’s presence
Burrow echoed that sentiment after practice when asked about the newest centerpiece of Cincinnati’s defensive front. The franchise quarterback admitted Lawrence has forced the offense to speed up its operation because the pocket simply doesn’t stay clean for very long.
As Burrow explained in the NFL on CBS interview clip via Evan Washburn, the offense has to “get that thing out” faster when Lawrence is collapsing the middle of the pocket, adding that the All-Pro defensive tackle has absolutely looked the part during the opening days of camp.
It’s the type of praise that carries extra weight coming from one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks.
Burrow has faced elite interior defenders throughout his career, and Lawrence has quickly reminded everyone why he has long been considered among the league’s most dominant defensive tackles.
The offensive line is embracing the challenge
Perhaps no Bengal has had a tougher assignment than center Ted Karras, who has lined up across from Lawrence throughout camp.
Rather than complain about the impossible task, Karras has welcomed it.
Earlier this week, Karras called Lawrence “probably the best nose tackle in the last 30 years,” explaining that practicing against a player of that caliber every day will only sharpen Cincinnati’s offensive line heading into the season. He also compared the challenge to practicing against some of the dominant New England Patriots defenses from earlier in his career, saying Lawrence has immediately elevated the competitiveness of practice.
Cincinnati offensive guard Dalton Risner echoed Karras’ sentiments about Lawrence’s presence through camp. “There’s certain guys in this league like Dexter who wreck a whole game play, and you have to do everything around them, and you change everything you’re doing,” Risner said, via Yahoo! Sports. “You’re going to have to change how you block against certain guys.
“He’s just making us do it really early and really often.”
That’s exactly what the Bengals envisioned when they made the blockbuster trade.
A defense that suddenly looks different
The Bengals spent much of the offseason overhauling a defense that struggled throughout 2025.
Lawrence’s arrival has quickly become the centerpiece of that rebuild.
Reports from camp have consistently highlighted a defense winning its share of team periods, with Lawrence creating havoc in both the running and passing game while helping open opportunities for the linebackers and edge rushers around him. That impact extends beyond the stat sheet.
When elite offensive players like Burrow and Chase are openly talking about how disruptive one defender has been, it says plenty about what Lawrence has brought to Cincinnati. Offensive Coordinator Dan Pitcher added that Lawrence is a “nightmare” for units going up against “Sexy Dexy”.
Training camp is designed to make teams uncomfortable. Through the first week, nobody has embodied that philosophy more than Dexter Lawrence.
If his practice performances are any indication, opposing offenses may soon find themselves echoing the same sentiment Ja’Marr Chase delivered so succinctly:
He’s been terrorizing people.
