Lawrence, Brim Reunite at Cowboys: First-Round Pick

0:00On April 29, Dallas Cowboys just snagged Malachi Lawrence, a 23rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, straight out of UCF. He's heading to rookie minicamp, but he won't feel like a total newbie thanks to a reunion with his new assistant defensive line coach, Demeter Brim, who coached him at UCF last year. Brim came over from the college ranks after playing for UCF himself, and he helped build that bond with Lawrence during his four seasons there. This makes Lawrence the first UCF player ever taken in the first round by the Cowboys, and only the fifth from his school in that spot historically. Brim has been raving about Lawrence's quick first step. His knack for switching of moves when the first one fails, and that non-stop motor that keeps him, pushing. Says the kid loves football and thrives in the building, no issues there. The whole Cowboys organization from the front office to scouts is all in on him, seeing him as a key piece to fix up their defense moving forward. This brings that blue collar grind, attacking practices and gains with real fire.

1:02Now it's time to put in the work alongside first-rounder Caleb Downs and the rest of the class at rookie minicamp, the first weekend in May, proving all that hype right on the field.