Former NY Giants DT Dexter Lawrence is impressing Bengals in training camp

The New York Giants trading Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals was one of the key storylines during the offseason. Now, it seems like both parties are happy with what they got, but for the AFC North team, more than happy, they are in absolute awe of the defensive tackle.

Joe Goodberry of the Locked On Bengals podcast spoke to Ari Meirov about Lawrence’s impact. “He [Dexter Lawrence] has been the best player in camp. He has been absolutely destroying them… He really looks like he’s back to the 2022/2023 dominant player.”

That is frightening news for the rest of the NFL. The Bengals always had huge offensive firepower, but lacked defense. Now, Lawrence could be the one piece that puts them over the hump. Fully healthy and in form, Lawrence can be a Defensive Player of the Year contender.

Why the Giants could miss Lawrence?

Lawrence was disgruntled and asked to be traded. Now, the Giants received a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft which is a great price. They used it to select Offensive Tackle Francis Mauigoa. However, they could still miss Dexter Lawrence quite a lot.

The Giants’ revamped defensive front faces a steep drop-off in interior pressure and run-stopping capability following his departure. Also, pass rusher Brian Burns said the defense “ain’t the Giants without No. 97,” making note of how important Lawrence’s interior pressure was for the G-Men.

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Why Lawrence could solve all Bengals’ defensive woes?

Lawrence will be anchoring the interior defensive line with elite run-stopping power and constant pass rush. His massive 340-pound presence eats up multiple blockers, fixing a glaring rush defense weakness that struggled heavily last season.