Kay Adams couldn't be more spot-on with Bengals-Dexter Lawrence trade take

The Cincinnati Bengals are at least one big piece away, if not two or more, from fielding a defense that can overcome years of poor play on that side of the ball in 2026. Bottom line is, the front office hasn't done quite enough to date to improve Cincinnati's inferior unit.

That could change in the upcoming NFL Draft, where the Bengals pick 10th overall and thus should be in line to acquire a blue-chip defender. However, an early run on elite defensive prospects may leave Cincinnati stuck with a less impactful option.

One way to remove some of the guesswork involved? Trade for a proven All-Pro to fill one major need. That's what we at Stripe Hype have pounded the table for, and Kay Adams is joining the cause!

Kay Adams implores Bengals to pull the trigger on Dexter Lawrence trade

In her latest episode of the Up & Adams show, Kay Adams stumped for Cincinnati to pull off a trade for New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. Her monologue on the topic was as on-point as could be:

"They still have $20 million in cap space this year. They're top 10 in projected cap space next year. Now is the time to use it, especially since you've gotta think they can land him without giving up a first-round pick, right? [...] They need a star on that side of the ball, and if they add Dex, and if you draft a Caleb Downs, or a Sonny styles, or maybe even a Rueben [Bain Jr.], we're looking at this defense, I think, in a different light."

Based on Stripe Hype's proposed Dexter Lawrence trade package, yes Kay, the Bengals can indeed score him without yielding a first-round pick — and they can move up in the draft order to improve their chances at landing Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.

As cap-healthy as the Bengals are in the coming years, they would need to pull certain levers, such as restructuring Joe Burrow's contract, to accommodate the top-market contract Lawrence will command. Well worth it to solve a nose tackle need Cincinnati hasn't adequately addressed since D.J. Reader left after the 2023 season.

In many ways, Lawrence is an upgrade over Reader. Definitely a superior pass rushing threat. A reunion with D.J. is still a possibility, but he pales in comparison to Lawrence. The latter is also far younger (turns 29 in November) than Reader (turns 32 in July).

Some will argue that drafting Styles in this scenario is an irresponsible expenditure of premium draft capital. After all, the Bengals drafted Demetrius knight Jr and Barrett Carter at Styles' position last year.

Couldn't disagree more. Styles is in a different galaxy as a prospect than either of those cats. He'd be Cincinnati's immediate LB1 and a franchise cornerstone.

Adams also alluded to Styles' teammate, safety Caleb Downs, and Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. as possible options with the 10th overall pick. Downs feels redundant in a crowded safety/nickelback group, and Bain would fill a less pressing need than Styles. Hence my strong preference toward Sonny.

It'd be wildly out of character for the Bengals to pull off this Lawrence trade, never mind whilst moving up in the first round. If they can just be a little brave, though, they could flip their fortunes on defense overnight.