Dexter Lawrence already has Zac Taylor in shock post Giants trade

The Cincinnati Bengals went all in to upgrade their defense during the offseason. Cincinnati’s biggest move was trading for DT Dexter Lawrence less than a week before the 2026 NFL Draft. The veteran nose tackle is already making a strong impression during his first month in Cincinnati.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor explained the one thing that surprised him most about Lawrence following the trade.

“I was shocked that he was here everyday right after we traded for him,” Taylor said on Tuesday, per Noelle Blumel of WCPO 9 Cincinnati. “He just chose to jump right in and not miss a day initially. I think that shows, I hate to speak for him, but just the excitement he has to be here with these guys in the locker room.”

Taylor was even more excited about Lawrence after getting to know him better.

“I had the chance to speak with him one-on-one several times. Love the personality because that’s something you really don’t know until you get to know the guy,” Taylor added. “But there’s certainly a level of excitement when the organization takes a swing at a guy like that.”

Lawrence certainly sounds excited to be with the Bengals, too. Teammate Barrett Carter shared the Super Bowl aspirations that Lawrence has during a recent interview.

“Dex, he came in Day 1 and said let’s get to work. He said he’s not here for anything but winning a Super Bowl,” Carter said about Lawrence, per Mike Petraglia. “So that sends a lot of excitement to us.”

Lawrence joins Jonathan Allen and Boye Maye on a completely revamped Bengals defensive line.

It will be exciting to see if Cincinnati can finally take a big leap forward during the 2026 season.

The post Dexter Lawrence already has Zac Taylor in shock post Giants trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.