Cowboys Draft Malachi Lawrence

0:00On April 24, Dallas Cowboys just snag Malachi Lawrence, the 22-year-old pass rusher from UCF, with the 23rd overall pick in the, 2026 NFL draft. Hours after hearing his name called, he hopped on a charter flight to North Texas and stepped right into the team's flashy headquarters, eyes wide at, the Super Bowl trophies, and chandeliers. The Cowboys smartly traded down from 20th overall, picking up two fourth rounders from the Eagles and still landed their guy. Lawrence ranks 10th on UCF's all-time sackless, with 20 over 37 games, plus he forced three fumbles in his last two seasons as a, first team all big 12 edge rusher. Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, he dreamed big as a kid, playing linebacker and tied in in high school before dominating at UCF. He's only the fifth night ever taken in the first round, and the first Cowboy first rounder from there, setting a new standard for the program. A big assist came from the Cowboys assistant defensive line coach,

1:00who knew Lawrence from his UCF analyst days and hyped his sky high potential. During the pre-draft process, now he's linking up with 11th overall pick, Caleb Downes to rebuild that defense under new coordinator, Christian Parker. Lawrence is locked in, ready to hunt plays and rep his family right watch. This kid light up the line from day one.