Dexter Lawrence is a handful for any opponent to deal with, and the Cincinnati Bengals have to be thrilled Sexy Dexy is on their side. This week's joint practice and preseason game against the Chicago Bears will be the first time Lawrence is properly unleashed in Bengals stripes. It should be quite the spectacle.
Bengals players have taken notice of Lawrence's dominance at training camp. Superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase even went as far to say that the two-time All-Pro has been, and I quote, "terrorizing practice."
That's a 10th overall pick well spent if I've ever heard of one. Based on some recent rankings and the personnel Chicago fields, Lawrence will further cement his value in this impending showdown with the Bears.
Lawrence lifts Bengals defensive line to another stratosphere
PFF just released their defensive line rankings ahead of the 2026 season, and let's just say Dexter Lawrence's presence went a long way in giving Cincinnati a major boost from this time last year.
For those skeptical of the PFF way, well, they did have the Bengals' d-line ranked 25th heading into the 2025 campaign. That might've been a little generous in retrospect.
Even with Trey Hendrickson defecting to the rival Ravens, though, Lawrence has driven Cincinnati all the way up to No. 8 as of now. The author Gordon McGuinness also gave the Bengals credit for adding Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champ Boye Mafe at defensive end:
"Mafe hasn’t reached Hendrickson’s level as a pass-rusher, with a career-high 77.8 PFF pass-rush grade in 2023, but he is younger and has earned a PFF grade above 65.0 in each of his four NFL seasons. Cincinnati’s biggest addition came on the interior, where the team traded for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence is coming off a down season by his standards, yet he still earned an 84.5 PFF pass-rush grade in 2025."
This write-up underscores Mafe's upside, which he still hasn't fully realized. Defensive coordinator Al Golden will deploy him as a hybrid "Viper" edge defender who can even drop into coverage at times thanks to his excellent athleticism.
But the main story here is obviously Lawrence. He will elevate Mafe and every defender in his orbit. I love how high Lawrence graded as a pass rusher last season despite his low 0.5 sack output. Plus, his 350-pound presence and frequent double teams will markedly improve the Bengals' reigning league-worst run defense.
Bears offensive line will have their hands full with Sexy Dexy
Chicago center Garrett Bradbury graded out as PFF's 29th-ranked center this past year. That's not too good. Bradbury is the main man who'll have to play opposite Dexter Lawrence, who'll predominantly line up at nose tackle.
Yes, the Bears' guard tandem of Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson are solid, but Lawrence has the size to engulf and overwhelm them. Thuney is more of a stellar pass protector than a mauling run blocker; Jackson tends to be better in the running game, and that's really a testament to how strong of a pass blocker Thuney is than anything else.
Point being, Lawrence's impact is really going to show up in the coming days. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is a phenomenal sack escape artist, but it's a lot harder if your center is getting dump-trucked into your lap, as should be the case in the Lawrence vs. Bradbury trench duel.
Anyone who thought the Bengals overpaid for Lawrence in the trade will be eating crow by the time Saturday's Week 2 of the preseason game wraps up. That's how quick and self-evident it will be.
Thoughts and prayers to Bears running back D'Andre Swift, too.
Swift never met a wide-open hole between the tackles he couldn't run away from in favor of bouncing to the outside. Not only will Lawrence reduce those inside running lanes, but if Swift tries to race toward the sidelines, Cincinnati has exceptional athletes all across the d-line in Mafe, Jonathan Allen, rookie second-rounder Cashius Howell and plenty of others to chase him down.
Lawrence will soon prove the Bengals do indeed deserve to be considered a top-10 defensive line, if not a top-10 overall defensive unit, as Chase Brown publicly suggested. This isn't some bold prediction. It's more like a warning to the rest of the NFL of the inevitable dominance they're about to behold.
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