Malachi Lawrence NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys Edge

Matt HolderApr 16, 2026

The Dallas Cowboys selected UCF Edge Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Malachi Lawrence is a late riser in the 2026 NFL draft class, catching people's attention with a strong performance in both the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL combine. Even better, he has the tape to match with the potential to become a high-quality pass-rusher in the league.

The 6'4", 253-pound edge-defender began his college career as a 3-star recruit in the 2021 class. He spent five years at UCF and didn't get much playing time until his redshirt sophomore season but was productive with 72 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, five passes defended and three forced fumbles over 39 career games.

This past season was Lawrence's best, racking up 28 tackles, 11 TFLs, seven sacks, three PDs and two FFs to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors and be named an honorable mention for the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Year. He also was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2023.

Matt Holder has been a part of B/R's Scouting Department for four seasons. He also writes about the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL draft for SB Nation's Silver and Black Pride, and co-hosts a YouTube Channel, Tape Don't Lie, providing film breakdowns and more draft prospect analysis.

Highlights

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Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 29 New Hampshire at UCF

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- Lawrence has long arms and a good frame with room to add weight.

- Very good athlete who finished in second or third among edge-defenders at the combine in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical and broad jumps.

- Good get-off, reacts to the snap well and has good acceleration off the line of scrimmage to threaten offensive tackles with speed around the edge as a pass-rusher.

- Sets up his pass-rush moves in a variety of ways, using pre-snap alignment to his advantage, stemming inside/outside or getting square and varying the speed of his get-off.

- Active hands as a pass-rusher, showing decent hand swipe and cross-chop moves, while also being solid at working the hands after contact.

- Is quick with the change-of-direction skills to win across offensive tackles' faces.

- Solid at winning with power. He can turn speed-to-power and has showed a decent long-arm move. Also, he is good at engaging with a bull-rush to shorten the edge, using his quickness to win around the edge as a counter.

- Good bend at the top of the rush to corner.

- Physical as a run defender and the arm length can help him get extension on blocks if his strength improves.

Areas of Improvement

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- Lawrence must add size and strength to be more stout as a run defender and become an every-down edge in the NFL.

- Plays with high pad level and doesn't use a wide base when taking on blocks in the run game. Combined with below-average size and strength, these concern areas cause issues when setting the edge against offensive tackles.

- Hand-placement as a run defender is a little wide, exposing his chest and making it difficult to get extension and escape blocks.

- When tackling in space or in the backfield, he struggles to sink his hips and break down, leading to misses.

- Overall, he has the makings of someone who is a "J.A.G." as a run defender rather than a true difference-maker.

- While he has active hands as a pass-rusher, he isn't tactical with them, showing inconsistencies with the accuracy and timing of his initial chops to start his pass-rush move.

- Could add a more violent rip to the end of his pass-rush moves to get clean wins and prevent blockers from hanging/holding onto him.