Tee Higgins Reacts to Bengals Trading For Dexter Lawrence From Giants
On Saturday night, the Cincinnati Bengals made a massive pre-draft move by acquiring three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants.
In exchange, the Bengals sent their No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to New York. The deal is pending a physical, and Lawrence is expected in Cincinnati on Sunday. This ends a standoff that began earlier this month when contract talks with the Giants stalled.
Lawrence has two years left on the $87.5 million deal he signed in 2024, but the contract has no remaining guaranteed money. He has been pushing for a market-rate extension, which the Bengals are expected to finalize soon.
He fills a major void left by Trey Hendrickson in the Bengals, who recently signed a four-year, $112M deal with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Since the start of the 2022 season, Lawrence has recorded 108 quarterback pressures while specifically aligned at nose tackle. This is widely cited as the most in the NFL for that position during this period, although his sack count dropped to only 0.5 last season.
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins reacted immediately by reposting a clip of his touchdown celebration from the 2026 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 3, where Higgins could be seen doing Lawrence's signature "Sexy Dexy" dance as a tribute after catching a touchdown from Joe Flacco.
In the caption, he wrote, "A lot of this in the jungle huh "
A lot of this in the jungle huh https://t.co/0eYLeTCA7G
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) April 19, 2026
Just to recap, Higgins and Lawrence were teammates at the Clemson Tigers from 2017 to 2018, where they won a national title together. The Giants later drafted the North Carolina native with the 17th overall pick. He spent seven seasons as a cornerstone in New York until an unresolved contract dispute led to this trade.
The Giants got excellent value in the trade, now owning the No. 5 and No. 10 picks. New coach John Harbaugh is expected to focus on defensive assets, possibly targeting linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs. They also need a new D-line piece to replace Lawrence.
But the Bengals gave up their only first-round pick for the deal. This is the first time the franchise has ever traded a top-10 pick for a player. It's an aggressive move, but it shows they are fully committed to winning while Joe Burrow is in his prime.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: How Dexter Lawrence Trade Impacts 1st Round
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 6:30 AM.