The Dallas Cowboys traded down from No. 20 to No. 23 with the Philadelphia Eagles to select UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. He became the fifth first-round pick in the Knights' program history and quickly joined his new team in North Texas on draft night.

Per Patrick Walker of DallasCowboys.com, Lawrence said: 

“This is crazy. It's like a standard to be set now. You can go to UCF and be a first-round pick on defense. I just want to represent my family in the right way and to put a good name on UCF.”

Lawrence is the only player selected by the Cowboys in the first round from the UCF Knights. He recorded a total of 72 tackles (47 solo), 28 tackles for loss, and 20.0 sacks in 39 games played, which made him rank 10th among UCF’s all-time best sack producers. 

No wonder the Cowboys HC, Brian Schottenheimer, showed immense trust in their decision to draft Lawrence. 

"His ability to bend, to turn his toe, and to accelerate off of different angles [is real]. What we love about him is that he doesn't just get the quarterback. He gets the ball. And that's a big emphasis for us this year."

But the question remains. How can Lawrence strengthen the Cowboys' defense?

What Can Lawrence Bring To the Cowboys’ Defense?

Lawrence brings in elite pass-rushing versatility and remarkable athleticism to the Cowboys' defense, projected as a natural outside linebacker. 

As per Dane Brugler of The Athletic, 

"Lawrence is a linear mover and lacks ideal bend, but he offers skill as a pass rusher, stack-shed toughness versus the run, and the demeanor that will help him carve out a starting role at the next level."

Having played at both the tight end and linebacker positions at school and converted to defensive end during college, Lawrence is expected to fit in well with defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s ‘3-4 defensive front with multiple looks’. 

According to Todd Brock of the Cowboys Wire, Lawrence earned a relative athletic score of 9.94 for 10, completing above the 97th percentile and 99th percentile in explosiveness and edge rusher speed grades, respectively.

The Cowboys received a No. 20 pick from trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in 2025, and they have drafted Malachi Lawrence with that pick. With his position as a linebacker, he is expected to fill the gap Parsons left, meeting the defensive needs of the team. 

Do you think Lawrence can fill Parsons shoes?

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi