A first-round pass rusher who racked up 7-sack seasons at UCF and gives Dallas a new edge presence at No. 23 overall.
Malachi Lawrence is a Louisville, Kentucky native who developed into one of the American Athletic Conference's most productive pass rushers over five seasons at UCF. The Dallas Cowboys used the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Lawrence, their second first-round selection, to add an edge presence to the front seven.
Path to the league
Lawrence played linebacker and tight end at DuPont Manual High School in Louisville before starring on the edge at UCF. The Cowboys selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, their second first-rounder after addressing the secondary with an earlier pick.
Career highlights
Lawrence broke out as a redshirt sophomore in 2023 with 7.5 sacks across 13 games, then followed with 5 sacks in 2024 and a career-high 7 sacks as a senior in 2025, when he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. At the NFL Combine, he measured 6-foot-4 5/8 and ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, testing well above expectations for his size.
2025 season recap
In his final UCF season, Lawrence started all 12 games and recorded 28 tackles and 7 sacks, earning first-team All-Big 12 recognition and boosting his stock into the first round of the 2026 draft, where Dallas selected him 23rd overall.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Malachi Lawrence
- Dallas Cowboys: Malachi Lawrence drafted by Cowboys in 2026 first round
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- UCF
- Hometown
- Louisville, KY, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
