The Cowboys needed to go big on defense this draft, and went ahead exactly as planned. That brought them to UCF standout Malachi Lawrence, who was picked at No. 23 by Jerry Jones and Co. The star edge rusher made sure to express his thanks after becoming a part of an iconic team.

“Thank You Jesus,” Lawrence posted on his Instagram story.

Lawrence created a lot of buzz this offseason after a brilliant 2025 season with the Knights, where he racked up 7 sacks. It is tough to stand out amid such talented players coming out of the program, but the DE broke UCF’s first-round drought since 2018, by going to Dallas at No. 23. The news was overwhelming for him, as seen in a video dropped by the franchise. Lawrence was visibly emotional, with a hand covering his eyes while his family celebrated in the background. The weight of the Lone Star cap he was already sporting must have gotten to him.

When the DE received the call, he and his whole entourage erupted in cheers. After all, this time last year, not many thought Lawrence was going to be a top pick. But it was his performance at the NFL Combine that pushed him up the draft board.

In Lawrence, the Cowboys are landing an elite athlete who posted a 9.94 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score, ranking above the 97th percentile in explosiveness and the 99th percentile in speed among edge rushers. He is a raw talent and will need some time to be developed, but he fills the glaring need Dallas has at edge rusher. Lawrence had been on Dallas’ agenda for some time now.

The Cowboys were going to draft Malachi Lawrence anyway

With the 23rd overall selection, the Dallas Cowboys drafted Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in a move that came together nicely. The Cowboys let the Eagles move up to No. 20 for wide receiver Makai Lemon, Dallas slid back just three spots and still picked up two extra fourth-round picks, while giving up Pick No. 218.

According to insider Jon Machota, even if Dallas couldn’t trade down to No. 23 and stayed at No. 20, they would have still drafted Lawrence. Interestingly enough, the 20th overall pick with which the Cowboys acquired Lawrence was picked from Green Bay in exchange for Micah Parsons. It would be wrong to call him the next Parsons, but Lawrence still brings a lot of good.

Malachi Lawrence’s arms are longer than the average DEs, and he can get after tight ends efficiently. The ability to “turn the toe and run the edge is elite,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer noted in a press conference. With time and development, he can be Dallas’ starting edge rusher.