Dexter Lawrence making his goal known early after joining Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals made their first-round pick earlier than most teams in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cincinnati traded that pick for DT Dexter Lawrence in the days leading up to the draft. Lawrence made it clear to his teammates exactly what he wants to accomplish in Cincinnati shortly after joining the team.

Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter shared what Lawrence told him about his goals after joining the team.

“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.”

Carter and Lawrence both played college football at Clemson, so they are aware of each other. Now they will join forces on Cincinnati’s defense.

“The fact that I get to play behind him and play alongside him, it means the world to me,” Carter added. “I remember growing up watching him when I was about to go to Clemson. It’s really a full circle moment that I get to play alongside him.”

Cincinnati poured a lot of resources into upgrading their defense this offseason. There is reason to believe that the Bengals will not have an embarrassing defense in 2026 like they’ve had over the past two seasons.

The Bengals added Boye Mafe during NFL free agency and spent a second-round pick on Cashius Howell during the draft. That gives Cincinnati options on the edge beyond Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart.

Cincinnati also signed Jonathan Allen to a two-year deal. He should play alongside Lawrence and will help fortify the interior of the defensive line.

It will be exciting to see how much Cincinnati’s defense has improved when the 2026 season kicks off later this fall.

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