Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden had a disastrous first season as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator. Heading into his second season, which could be "make or break" for the entire Bengals' staff, Golden will have a new lynchpin for his defensive line in Dexter Lawrence.
In what can only be described as a win-win for both teams, the Bengals acquired a defensive tackle who will no doubt help improve their run defense immensely. The Giants will get to start a true rebuild with the No. 5 and No. 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, it's hard to argue that the Bengals could have gotten a better DT than a 3-time Pro Bowler with that No. 10 pick.
Al Golden got a big toy to play with on the Cincinnati Bengals with Dexter Lawrence
#Giants star Dexter Lawrence is being traded to the #Bengals in a pre-Draft blockbuster that includes the No. 10 pick heading to the Giants, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 19, 2026
NYG gets premium draft compensation, Cincy gets a lynchpin, while Sexy Dexy gets a new, big-money extension. pic.twitter.com/u807BevKxV
With reports that the trade between the Bengals and Giants is Lawrence for the 10th pick on Thursday straight up, Al Golden gets to bolster his defensive front immediately, rather than hoping a rookie can eventually grow into an All-Pro type player.
For instance, Mel Kiper's latest mock draft had Cincinnati taking LSU defensive back Mansoor Delane with their 10th pick. While the Bengals definitely need to soup up their defensive backfield, they can still do that in the second round and get some real talent. Lawrence, who is also expected to sign a lengthy and expensive extension can be someone the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator leans on in 2026.
Up until now, Lawrence played his entire career with the Giants. He was a first round pick (17th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft and has played in every game but five over the last seven years. In 2024, the defensive tackle missed five games due to injury, but bounced back and played all of 2025. According to PFF he was the No. 13 defensive tackle in the entirety of the NFL and despite only registering half a sack last year, he still had a sterling 84.5 pass rush rating.
Former Notre Dame DC gets a boost for his second year with the Bengals
In his first season coaching alongside Zack Taylor in the Queen City, the coaches came under fire plenty. There were even some who wondered if he regretted making the jump to the pros as he watched Notre Dame fall just short of making the playoffs from afar.
However, a post-season report card compiled by the NFLPA showed that Al Golden's players didn't blame him or any of the coaches for the squad's struggles. Instead, it was the front office that took most of the heat.
The former Notre Dame DC knows that while his players didn't blame him for a near-league worst defense, that same front office will blame him if the Bengals have another bad season. Dexter Lawrence could go a long way towards making sure that doesn't happen.
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