The Cincinatti Bengals shocked the NFL world by dealing their first round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence would have been a great player to bolster the New Orleans Saints run defense, but the Saints fans had to feel relieved it was the Bengals and not the Saints who made this trade.
The Bengals gave up the 10th overall pick to land Lawrence. Originally, many thought Lawrence would be traded for a collection of picks, with the highest of the bunch being a second rounder. The Bengals only had to give up one pick, but it was their most important one. That's not a luxury the Saints have.
#Giants star Dexter Lawrence is being traded to the #Bengals in a pre-Draft blockbuster that includes the No. 10 pick heading to the Giants, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 19, 2026
NYG gets premium draft compensation, Cincy gets a lynchpin, while Sexy Dexy gets a new, big-money extension. pic.twitter.com/u807BevKxV
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Silly me thinking the Saints could provide the Giants with something no other team could. How could we know the Bengals would come in with a top-10 overall pick? And that pick far exceeds the weight of including Cesar Ruiz.
The only way the Saints could have given the Giants a better deal than the Bengals is to include the eighth overall pick, and there was no way the Saints could justify doing that. It's hard to justify the Bengals doing it. What this genuinely feels like is a bidder coming in with an offer so far over market that they know no one will match it.
The Saints are in a premium position to get a building block of the team's future. Even though Downs doesn't play a traditionally premium position, he's still a player you can build around. Other options at wide receiver and edge rushers are meant to be players to build around. Lawrence would've been a great addition to the team, but he wouldn't have been a long term building block.
Whoever they select will also be cost controlled. The NFL Draft pay scale sets the contract for the eighth pick at approximately $31 million over the course of four years. Chris Jones is making more than that per year, and Lawrence is looking to be in that ballpark with his next contract.
The $31 million for four years versus a single year is enough reason to be happy the Saints passed on this deal. From a financial and roster building standpoint, saving the first round pick was the flat out better move for the Saints.
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