Dexter Lawrence
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The Giants are figuring out their plan of attack after Dexter Lawrence's trade request
One can make a strong case for the Chicago Bears to pursue a trade for star New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, or run the other way, but where any given analyst lands in that discussion is reliant on the price Chicago must pay.
Some clarity came on that front shortly after Lawrence asked out of New York following two offseasons of stalled negotiations on a pay raise for the $87.5 million interior lineman.
Connor Hughes of SNYtv reported on Tuesday, April 7 that the going rate for Lawrence is either a first-round pick in 2026, a first-rounder in 2027 or a second-round selection coupled with a fifth-rounder in the upcoming draft.
Bears’ First-Round Pick too Steep for Dexter Lawrence
Dexter Lawrence Trade Request NFL Trade Rumors Bears Trade Bears News
GettyNew York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Chicago owns the No. 25 selection, which perhaps isn’t too steep in a vacuum for Lawrence. However, giving it up would meaningfully limit the Bears’ ability to improve their defensive front with inexpensive, high-upside talent.
The Bears could look at a rookie DT like Kayden McDonald out of Ohio State there to anchor its defense against the run after giving up 5.0 yards per carry to opponents last year, which was 29th in the league. Or Chicago could seek a second-tier edge-rusher like Cashius Howell out of Texas A&M to bolster a pass rush that was near the bottom of the NFL in several meaningful metrics.
Multiple recent mocks have also seen the Bears select safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren of Toledo in the mid 20s, pairing him with premier free-agent signing Coby Bryant to remake that position group after the departures of both All-Pro Kevin Byard III and longtime starter Jaquan Brisker this offseason.
All of those options fly out the window if Chicago trades its first-rounder for Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro whose sack totals dropped from a career-high (9.0) in 2024 to a career-low (0.5) in 17 games played last season.
Those traditional statistics are somewhat misleading, as Pro Football Focus still ranked Lawrence as the 9th-best interior defender out of 134 players who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025. But he is also entering his 8th professional campaign in 2026, which he will play at age 29, and is hunting a new contract that sees his annual average salary jump up from nearly $22 million.
Bears Should Trade for Dexter Lawrence if They Can Make Deal Without Including First-Round Pick
Jadeveon Clowney #42 of the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, is still a free agent.
GettyEdge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
The five-year opportunity cost of losing out on a rookie at No. 25 for an older, more expensive player in Lawrence is a hard sell, even if it improves the Bears’ biggest weakness immediately heading into 2026.
However, the equation is considerably less risky if the Bears can package the No. 60 pick in Round 2 with its No. 129 selection in Round 4 and acquire Lawrence that way. Chicago owns the Nos. 57 and 60 picks in the second round after trading wide receiver DJ Moore and a fifth-rounder to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the latter of those two assets.
Given that the Bears don’t own a fifth-round pick any longer and would need to approximate with No. 129, it is fair for Chicago to kick the 60th pick to the Giants and keep No. 57 to improve its own roster.
In that scenario, the Bears hold onto their best two draft assets and add a top-10 defensive tackle whose best skill is creating pressure up the middle. Chicago could pair Lawrence with a run-stuffer like McDonald at No. 25 and add a pass-rusher like Jadeveon Clowney (8.5 sacks in 13 games last season) on a one-year contract to complement Montez Sweat and an ascending Austin Booker off the edge.