The Cincinnati Bengals’ overhaul of the defensive front has quickly become the clearest success from their offseason. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has delivered the immediate impact the team wanted from its trade with the New York Giants, while edge rusher Boye Mafe has helped offset the loss of Trey Hendrickson.
At the team’s bye week, Locked On Bengals host Jake Liscow and co-host Joe Goodberry graded the Lawrence trade as the club’s best offseason move. Goodberry said Lawrence carried the highest film grade on his weekly Bengals evaluations through five games and has played like the defense’s most valuable performer.
Liscow said the trade’s value goes beyond Lawrence’s individual production. He pointed to the pressure Lawrence creates for teammates, his run defense and the difference in Cincinnati’s results when he leaves the field. The hosts argued no realistic prospect available with the 10th pick would have supplied the same immediate, across-the-board effect.
As for the second major addition up front, Goodberry said the former Seattle pass rusher entered free agency with intriguing tape but questions about whether he could consistently win at the rate expected from a $20 million-per-year edge defender. Through five games, Goodberry said Mafe had approached a 20% pass-rush win rate and posted a 24.4% true pass-rush win rate.
That early production has changed the Bengals’ calculation in the post-Hendrickson era. Liscow called Mafe a home-run signing so far. He cited his pressure creation, ability to affect throws and more reliable run defense than what Hendrickson provided. The remaining question is whether Mafe can turn more of those pressures into sacks.
The review of the front office’s offseason moves was not entirely celebratory. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safety Bryan Cook have helped the defense, but Goodberry classified both additions as useful rather than transformative because of their contracts. Liscow also raised concerns about the extension for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., whose pass protection has remained uneven even though he gives the offense a viable starting option at a difficult position to replace.
Cincinnati still faces decisions at linebacker, slot corner, safety and along the offensive line. But the first five games have supplied a strong early answer on the roster’s most expensive defensive bets: Lawrence and Mafe have given the Bengals a front capable of driving the defense’s ceiling.
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