Bengals overhaul the defense, trading for Dexter Lawrence to protect Burrow's window

Amid a wave of coaching change across the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals are the division's constant: Zac Taylor enters his eighth season as head coach, the only tenured coach left in a division that turned over three of its four sidelines. With quarterback Joe Burrow leading an explosive offense, Cincinnati spent the offseason attacking the one thing holding it back — a defense that collapsed in 2025.

The defensive overhaul

The Bengals' defense struggled badly for much of last season, allowing at least 27 points in 10 of its first 13 games before tightening down the stretch. General manager Duke Tobin responded aggressively, and the headliner was a stunning trade for interior force Dexter Lawrence, acquired from the Giants for a first-round pick. One of the league's most disruptive linemen in his prime, Lawrence gives Cincinnati a genuine defensive centerpiece to build around. The Bengals added further front-seven and secondary help in free agency to support the rebuild.

The cost of the makeover

The reshuffle wasn't only additions. Cincinnati moved on from pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who landed with division-rival Baltimore — a notable subtraction that puts even more weight on Lawrence and the rest of the retooled front to generate pressure. How the new-look defense coheres under its coordinator will be a central camp storyline.

The Burrow factor

None of the defensive work matters if the offense doesn't carry its weight, and there the Bengals are set: Burrow, entering his 30s but still elite, anchors a unit that keeps Cincinnati favored in the vast majority of its games. As long as Burrow is healthy — always the caveat given his injury history — the Bengals can score with anyone.

Season outlook

Cincinnati's 2026 hinges on whether the overhauled defense can be even average. With Burrow and a loaded offense, an average defense likely makes the Bengals a playoff team and a real threat in a wide-open AFC North. The Lawrence trade was a bet that the defense's floor is now much higher. If it pays off, Cincinnati is a contender. If the defense sputters again, another talented Bengals team could be wasted. Stability at the top and a star-driven roster give them as good a chance as anyone in the division.