Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was very impressed with the Cincinnati Bengals' prized offseason acquisition, Dexter Lawrence, after the two teams faced off in a joint practice.
"He's an All-Pro guy," Williams said Thursday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Dave Clark. "One of the best, if not the best, D-tackles, with Chris Jones and all of them up there.
"He's a force to be reckoned with, and that's something that you go into a game week that you plan for him, that you plan to execute against him and doing things that aren't necessarily in his favor and maybe his body type, his style of play, the scheme and things like that and where they have him."
Lawrence made life difficult for the Bears' offense during practice, pressuring Williams on Chicago's final offensive drive to help force an interception, per Bengals team writer Geoff Hobson. The veteran defensive tackle also tipped a ball to himself for a pick on a screen pass from Williams earlier in the session.
Heard ya wanted to see this. pic.twitter.com/wvbDn5Q4Pu
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 20, 2026
Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick in the 2026 draft to the New York Giants to acquire Lawrence, aiming to address the team's pass-rush struggles from the interior. Since 2024, the Bengals have posted only a 6% pressure rate from the defensive tackle and nose tackle positions, ranking 31st in the league, according to TruMedia.
Bengals offensive lineman Ted Karras said the front seven has been great in training camp and is a much-improved unit compared to past years.
"Our defensive line validated what's been a hard month for us," Karras told reporters after practice. "It's been back and forth. That's a real unit over there."
Lawrence has earned three Pro Bowl nods and two second-team All-Pro nominations since being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. He's recorded 103 quarterback hits and 30.5 sacks in 109 career games.
