One of the hottest names ahead of the NFL Draft is Malachi Lawrence, the dynamic pass rusher from Central Florida.
The first-team All-Big selection was one of the biggest risers since the NFL Combine, and it’s not hard to see why. Lawrence ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at 253 pounds and had the second-best vertical jump (40”) among all defensive linemen at the NFL Combine.
And over the last two weeks, he has been frequently mocked to the Dallas Cowboys at pick No. 20 (or in a trade down). That was the case on Wednesday as Peter Schrager of ESPN mocked Lawrence to the Cowboys at the end of Round 1.
But is that smoke? Or is he a legitimate first-round option for Dallas? And how would he fit Christian Parker’s defense? Let’s dive into Lawrence and his fit with the Cowboys.
Malachi Lawrence could be a Round 1 steal for the Dallas Cowboys
If the Dallas Cowboys are set on adding an EDGE rusher at No. 20, there are only a few options that make sense. The typical names that are usually available in that range are Cashius Howell, Akheem Mesidor, and Malachi Lawrence.
But with Howell’s historically short arms and Mesidor’s advanced age, both might not be in consideration in Round 1. That doesn’t mean they are off the board, but they could be valued a little lower.
However, Lawrence checks just about every box you would want from a Round 1 pass rusher. He recorded 19.5 sacks over the last three seasons at Central Florida and had 28 tackles for a loss. Lawrence is highly athletic, and his 81 5/8” wingspan is among the longest of all the EDGE rushers in the class.
Lawrence isn’t the bendiest EDGE rusher, but his size, athleticism, and power are hard to ignore. He is currently the No. 40 on the expert consensus board, which would indicate that he would be a Round 1 reach. However, he might be the perfect fit for Parker.
The Cowboys are expected to use two wide-nine EDGE rushers in their 3-4 defense under Parker. And all that really means is that the EDGE rushers on this team will be lined up further away from the quarterback than in previous seasons. That will require the EDGEs to make up a lot of ground before they even get to the offensive tackle.
This is one of the issues Dallas may have with Rueben Bain Jr. He is significantly more “bendy” than Lawrence, but he is nowhere near the athlete. The EDGE rushers in this scheme will need to cover a ton of ground as a pass rusher and be able to drop into coverage. And that’s how someone like Lawrence can have a ton of value.
Lawrence is probably the most unrefined of the top EDGE rushers in this class, but he might have the highest ceiling after the top few names (Bailey, Reese, Bain). And if the Cowboys believe he fits the defense better than some of the other names at the end of Round 1, don’t be surprised if this is where they end up going.
There has been a ton of smoke over the last 48 hours regarding Lawrence, so it’s possible there is a fire here.
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