A COUPLE OF months ago, the idea of trading a premium pick seemed foreign to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The New York Giants, conversely, never expected to move on from standout defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. A series of unforeseen events turned these once-implausible scenarios into a reality on Saturday night.
Lawrence was traded to the Bengals straight up for the No. 10 selection in this week's NFL draft. The All-Pro defensive tackle signed a one-year, $28 million extension with the Bengals, while the Giants will reload with a pair of top-10 selections (including their own at No. 5) on Thursday night.
Talks with the Bengals started almost two weeks ago, sources with knowledge of the trade said. That was the first inkling that another top-10 pick could be within reach for the Giants in return for the dominant defensive tackle who has commanded the highest double-team rate on pass rushes (72.7%) over the past three years. Still, the Giants thought it was possible they could reach a resolution with Lawrence, who requested a trade on April 6, and tried to keep their longest-tenured player in New York.
Multiple league sources indicated the Giants wanted a significant haul for Lawrence. After trade conversations with the team, those same sources came away thinking that any deal would begin with a first-round pick. The consensus still seemed to be that his value would be either a late first-round pick or a second-rounder plus more assets.
When the Bengals offered the 10th selection, that even surprised the Giants, sources said.
"They offered the most," according to a Giants source. "Nobody was going to beat the 10th pick."