CINCINNATI — Things calmed down a little bit for Dexter Lawrence during the final three weeks of the Cincinnati Bengals offseason program.
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That might be the only time until January though that the defensive tackle is feeling a sense of calm.
Even though the Bengals canceled the final two days of minicamp practices, Lawrence will use the next five weeks before the start of training camp to gear up for this first season in orange and black. The Bengals acquired the three-time Pro Bowl selection from the New York Giants on April 19 for the 10th overall pick in the draft.
“I’m going to be like a boxer before they’re going into a fight. You’ve got to put your head down and train,” Lawrence said on Wednesday at the end of offseason workouts.
It’s the same approach Lawrence has used since he was the 17th overall pick by the Giants in the 2019 draft.
Lawrence arrived just at the start of the offseason program and used the past two months to get to know his new teammates while also imparting some of the wisdom he has learned over the past seven seasons.
“It’s part of my role to allow people to understand my knowledge of the game and to grow in that sense. I’m just excited to keep growing with them and learning,” he said.
Coach Zac Taylor said the important thing is that Lawrence has led by example instead of words, and that he has been front and center with the defense since arriving.
“I don’t know if he’s left since the day he showed up in the trade. It’s good to have veteran leadership like that that’s been in the building,” Taylor said. “I just think that the leadership on that side of the ball has really expanded amongst the amount of players that we have.”
Cincinnati has one of the league’s top offenses with quarterback Joe Burrow and All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, but its defense has been among the worst the past two seasons and needs to take a step forward if it wants to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
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The Bengals lost seven times over the past two seasons when scoring at least 30 points. It also became the first team to lose at least three games in consecutive seasons when scoring at least 34 points. They were 31st in yards allowed, 30th in points allowed and last against the run last season.
Lawrence is the lynchpin to the franchise’s reconstruction of the defense. They also added two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook.
“We know the caliber of player he is. Having him on our side, it makes it so much easier. It makes everyone’s job around us easier. He’s a calming presence because we have him on our side,” Mafe said of Lawrence.
Lawrence and Mafe combined for only 2 1/2 sacks last season, but they are hoping to revive a Cincinnati pass rush that was tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the league in 2025 with 35.
Trey Hendrickson played in only seven games last season because of an injury and had four sacks before signing with Baltimore in the offseason.
Lawrence is also hoping the upgrades on Cincinnati’s defensive line will help him to avoid double teams. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence faced the fifth-highest, double-team rate among defensive tackles last season at 70.35%. That is a significant reason why he had a half sack last season after getting a career-high nine in 2024.
The drop in sacks is also why Lawrence has a big chip on his shoulder going into the season.
“I’m more managing it now because you can’t really beat up on other teams. So during the season you just let it go and you flow,” Lawrence said. “I know how I approach this game and my impact to the game, even when it doesn’t show up on the sack numbers.”
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Freelance reporter Charlie Goldsmith in Cincinnati contributed to this story.
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