Cowboys' Lawrence Pick: Media vs. NFL Scouting

0:00On April 24, Dallas Cowboys snagged edge-rusher Malachai Lawrence at the 23rd overall pick in the first round. Nick Savin, the former Alabama coach, hyped him up as one of his top sleeper prospects right after this election. But just moments before, a hot-might caught Savin calling the picker reach, sparking some buzz online. Media big boards backed that up, ranking Lawrence outside the top 50 spots heading into Draft9. Analysts like Kevin Cole labelled it the biggest reach of the round, based on consensus projections. Still, the NFL's scouting world saw things differently in those final days. Insiders were buzzing about Lawrence as a surefire first round talent. NFL Network Jane Slater reported that Cowboys BP, Will McClay, got calls from four other teams, saying they nailed it by grabbing their guy. That shows league circles valued him way higher than most pundits. The Cowboys played it smart, trading down to land him while picking up two fourth round selections. They could have slid back further but held firm, worried he'd get snatched up before they could circle back.

1:04In the end, this looks like solid value for Dallas, bridging the gap between media mocks in real NFL demand. Savin might warm up to it once Lawrence hits the field.