The Dallas Cowboys came to play Thursday night. After landing an outright steal in Caleb Downs at No. 12, Jerry Jones traded down from No. 20 to 23 with the Philadelphia Eagles and picked up two fourth-round picks.
Dallas would have been hard-pressed to leave fans with a sour taste in their mouth, and they did the exact opposite at pick No. 23, selecting Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, a pick that felt weeks in the making.
While Lawrence is the No. 52 player on FanSided's Big Board, he was a late riser. The Lawrence-Cowboys buzz started building weeks ago, and it culminated when NFL insider Peter Schrager mocked the former Knight to Dallas in his final predictive mock.
A few days later, the prophecy was fulfilled.
The Dallas Cowboys select UFC edge Malachi Lawrence in 2026 NFL Draft
At 6'4" and 253 pounds with an 81 5/8 wingspan, Lawrence has prototypical size for the edge position. He's not the bendiest pass rusher, but he's got an explosive get-off and has tremendous closing speed when he turns the corner.
The Cowboys traded for Rashan Gary, but they badly needed another pass rusher. Gary is more of a stout run defender than prolific at getting after the quarterback, while Donovan Ezeiruaku, who showed real chops against the run as a rookie, struggled to finish plays as a pass rusher.
Reports out of Dallas indicate new defensive coordinator Christian Parker became enamored with Lawrence during the pre-draft process. The young pass rusher also reunites with Cowboys assistant line coach Demeitre Brim, who was on UFC's staff last season before joining Dallas this offseason.
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