It is no secret the Cincinnati Bengals needed to do something about their defense, and they needed to do it as soon as possible.
The front office truly went all in this offseason to fix that side of the ball, and although it isn’t perfect, the defense is much improved for 2026.
The biggest name the Bengals brought in this offseason is superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Lawrence has been at the top of his position with the New York Giants for years and will now hope to fill a massive hole in
the Bengals defense this season.
Sports Illustrated has Lawrence listed as the fourth-best defensive tackle in the NFL going into the 2026 season.
Lawrence is coming off a down season by his standards, recording just half a sack in 2025 as he returned from an injury, but remains a top-10 defensive tackle in the NFL. Lawrence had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024, as he recorded nine sacks and made his third consecutive Pro Bowl. He was previously a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023. This offseason, the Giants traded Lawrence to the Bengals. Lawrence still ranked top-20 in pass-rush win rate in 2025, but will look to rebound in Cincinnati and help the Bengals’ defense rise from the bottom of the rankings and make the playoffs.
Elsewhere, The Associated Press has Lawrence slotted at No. 5 among defensive tackles entering the new season.
Lawrence has established himself as the rare nose tackle who can generate pass pressure and stop the run. That made him worth the 10th overall pick when Cincinnati traded for him from the New York Giants before the draft in hopes he can help rebuild a struggling defense.
He had 21 sacks from 2022-24, when he made the Pro Bowl all three seasons, but had only a half-sack last season when he faced the fifth-highest double-team rate among defensive tackles at 70.35%, according to PFF.
The hype and excitement are there, and Lawrence is in for a big season leading this Bengals defense.
