ESPN’s latest ranking reinforces why the Bengals went all-in for Dexter Lawrence

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) during minicamp, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Cincinnati Bengals made the blockbuster decision to send the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence, reactions were understandably mixed.

Some questioned giving up premium draft capital for a veteran approaching 30 years old. Others viewed it as exactly the type of aggressive move Cincinnati needed after consecutive disappointing defensive seasons.

A few months later, one thing has become increasingly clear. The Bengals didn't just acquire a good defensive tackle. They acquired one of the NFL's elite players at the position.

That sentiment was reinforced this week when ESPN released its annual survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts ranking the league's top defensive tackles entering the 2026 season. Even though he took a dip from his top-ranked spot entering the 2025 season - which saw his play drop a bit due to an injury he played through - Lawrence once again found himself firmly among the league's elite-a testament to the respect he continues to command around the NFL despite coming off what many considered a down" statistical season.

Respect That Goes Beyond the Box Score

One of the more interesting aspects of ESPN's annual positional rankings is that they're built on the opinions of the people who spend all week trying to stop-or scheme against-these players.

Those evaluators aren't simply looking at sack totals. They value disruption, double teams, run defense, and the ability to collapse the pocket.

The little things that often don't show up in traditional statistics but completely alter offensive game plans. That's precisely why Lawrence continues to receive such high praise around the league.

During a 2025 season in which his sack production dipped, opposing offenses still devoted significant attention to slowing him down, allowing others around him to benefit. His reputation as one of football's premier interior disruptors remains intact.

Even so, Lawrence came in at No. 7 on ESPN's list after topping it in 2025. The highest vote he got was No. 3 overall.

Lawrence fell six spots, but the drop in his play isn't that steep. The voting between the third and seventh spots was close. That said, Lawrence's 0.5 sacks in 2025 were a career low, and he failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2021," Fowler writes.

But no defensive tackle gets more attention from offensive lines. Lawrence faced a double-team 71.3% of the time in 2025, a league high for players with at least 300 pass-rush opportunities."

Exactly What Cincinnati Needed

If there was one glaring weakness on the Bengals roster entering the offseason, it was the inability to consistently control the line of scrimmage. Too often in 2025, opposing offenses dictated the game.

Lawrence changes that equation immediately.

He's the type of player who commands double teams before the ball is even snapped. That doesn't just improve the defensive tackle position-it creates opportunities for edge rushers, linebackers, and blitz packages to become more effective.

It's one reason Cincinnati paired him with veterans Jonathan Allen and T.J. Slaton while continuing the development of younger interior players like Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson. On paper, it's a vastly different defensive front than the one that struggled a year ago.

Now Comes the Fun Part

Individual, much less arbitrary positional rankings, don't win football games. But they do offer insight into how the league views players behind closed doors.

For Bengals fans, Lawrence's standing among the NFL's top defensive tackles should be encouraging. It confirms that Cincinnati didn't simply add another starter-they added one of the most respected interior defenders in football.

If Lawrence performs in orange and black the way executives, coaches, and scouts expect him to, the blockbuster trade won't be remembered for the high draft pick Cincinnati surrendered.

I think he'll be rejuvenated there," a scout told Fowler. He wasn't happy in New York. He's got to keep his conditioning in check, but when he's at his best, he's next to impossible to block."

It'll be remembered as one of the defining moves of an offseason built around getting the Bengals back into championship contention.