Cowboys Draft Malachi Lawrence: High Upside, Big Contract

0:00On April 24, the Dallas Cowboys came into the 2026 NFL draft, desperate for defense after giving up the most yards and points in the league last season. They wasted no time, grabbing two defensive studs in the first round, safety Caleb Downes to fix their shaky secondary, and UCF Edge Russia Malachi, Lawrence at the 23rd pick, to boost their week pass rush since trading Michael Parsons. Here this week, as the draft unfolded on ESPN, legendary coach Nick Saven got caught on a hot mic, reacting to rumors of the Cowboys taking. Lawrence, he called it a reach, figuring the kid would slide to day two, which sparked buzz all over social media right before Commissioner Roger Gidell made. It official, analysts were split, with many mock drafts pegging Lawrence as a second rounder around the 35th spot overall. The Dallas saw the upside in a guy who visited 16 teams, pre-draft, and lit up the combine with the second best 40 time at 4.52.

1:01Seconds, a 40 inch vertical, and a near perfect relative athletic score. Lawrence brings twitchy speed, long arms, and solid college production double digit tackles for loss, and at least five sacks, three years running. Sure, he has technique tweaks and shoulder surgeries in his past, but his tools screen potential. Now, Lawrence inks a rookie deal worth over $20 million, stepping into a Cowboys front seven starving for sacks. If he pans out, Dallas could be back terrorizing quarterback sooner than we think.