The Dallas Cowboys may find themselves with a new edge rusher in the first round this Thursday, a lesser-known player with the potential to wreak havoc on offense. His name is Malachi Lawrence, and his connection to the Cowboys has been popping up in the media more and more over the past week. Not because they would be wiped out, but because they saw what Lawrence could bring to their charge.
Drafting Lawrence with the No. 12 pick is a bit of a luxury, but taking him with the No. 20 pick or even trading back and selecting him later in the round would be a good move for Dallas. The rising UCF upside has been surging up the media’s draft rankings, but draft scouts have been paying attention for quite some time.
advertise
Lawrence, who is 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, has drawn comparisons to former second-round pick Boye Mafe based on his size and field testing.
Lawrence will bring impressive pass-rushing skills as he is able to beat offensive linemen in a variety of moves. He’s also one of the most explosive rushers among the rest of the class with a 1.59 10-yard dash rating, and combined with his ability to flex at tackle, he’s a liability on pass rushes.
He’s also very capable defensively due to his long arms, which gives him the opportunity to get away from blockers and make plays on the football. His pairing with Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku will provide a pass rush that opponents will struggle to deal with.
Former defensive end Chris Long and NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had plenty to say about Lawrence on his Green Light podcast.
Nor are they outliers to Lawrence. Draft experts like Todd McShay and Peter Schrager rate him highly. Even Shrine Bowl Director of Football Operations and Player Personnel Eric Galko talked about the interest NFL teams showed in Lawrence’s Shrine Bowl workouts in January.
advertise
Some teams were concerned about his ability to stop the run due to his weight and lack of college production. Both points are fair, but the 23-year-old upside player still has room to grow. Lawrence can add more weight to his frame, so that shouldn’t bother Dallas. After all the positive feedback Lawrence has received, it shouldn’t bother Cowboys fans if Dallas drafts him in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wired: Cowboys eye Malachi Lawrence to improve their pass rush