If it seems like the Dallas Cowboys have received universal praise for their 2026 NFL Draft, that's because they have. Given how quick the media is to critique Dallas, it speaks volumes that hardly any holes have been poked in their draft performance.
If there's one selection that's been criticized, though, it's No. 23 overall pick Malachi Lawrence, a late riser in the process who was seen as a slight reach. The process that led Dallas to Lawrence was sound, but a lot of experts had a second-round grade on him.
However, Brian Schottenheimer peeled back the curtain and explained why Lawrence is a perfect fit beyond his ability to hassle opposing quarterbacks. (h/t Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com).
"... The ability to turn his toe and run the edge, as we like to call it, is we think is elite. And then, of course, the one thing I love about the guy is he has an innate ability to attack the football while he's attacking the quarterback. And then we feel like you need athletic edge pieces in this defense, in this division, because of the quarterbacks you're going to see."
Malachi Lawrence is a perfect fit for the Dallas Cowboys in more ways than one
I suppose that's why Schottenheimer is the head coach, right?
Teams should always prioritize their own needs in the NFL Draft. However, it's also critical to draft with your division in mind. After all, those are the matchups that make up half your schedule, and often decide your season.
The Cowboys got the best of both worlds with Lawrence. They added much-needed juice off the edge while landing a perfect counter to Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Jaxson Dart thanks to Lawrence's ability to close space in a hurry.
Daniels was hurt for most of last season, and Dallas only faced Dart once, but Hurts' scrambling ability gave the Cowboys fits. He led the Eagles with 62 rushing yards on 14 carries in the Week 1 nail-biter, before pacing Philly with 33 yards and two scores on seven carries.
Say what you will about Hurts, but 95 rushing yards over two matchups cannot happen. It'll help having a more proactive and creative defensive coordinator in Christian Parker -- Matt Eberflus waited too long to assign a spy on Hurts -- but having Lawrence's burst off the edge will also make a difference.
Not to bring up an ex, but think about how often Micah Parsons ran down quarterbacks after they were flushed from the pocket before he was traded to Green Bay. Nobody is comparing Lawrence to Parsons, but finishing plays is a big part of the evaluation.
Longtime NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein had the following to say about Lawrence in his scouting report of the player.
"He closes with burst and has the motor to hound scrambling quarterbacks."
Leave your nitpicking at the door, please.
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