He’s not David Bailey or Arvell Reese, nor is he Mansoor Delane or Sonny Styles, all of whom were drafted before he was. Heck, he’s not even the first guy his own team took on the opening night of selections.
But Cowboys edge rusher Malachi Lawrence has at least a chance to leapfrog all of them by season’s end when it comes time to hand out the end-of-year hardware.
So says NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, who recently named Lawrence his long-shot candidate to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
(The UCF newbie isn’t the only Cowboys notable on Brooks’s list. He also names “underappreciated” Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy his long-shot pick to win Coach of the Year. That move that would no doubt be a burr under the saddle of Cowboys fans, who were more than ready to run McCarthy out of Dallas despite three straight 12-win seasons… prior to 2024’s collapse.)
Lawrence overshadowing sparkly new safety Caleb Downs on the Cowboys roster would be a major feat in and of itself. The Ohio State product and No. 11 overall pick has sky-high expectations attached to him as he looks to be a key ingredient in leading first-year coordinator Christian Parker’s new-look scheme in Dallas.
But Brooks believes Lawrence, who is somehow flying under the collective radar despite being a top-25 pick himself, could create real havoc making his league entrance alongside a handful of seasoned veterans.
Brooks notes: “With opponents forced to deal with Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and Kenny Clark at the point of attack, Lawrence will see plenty of one-on-one matchups on the edge, leading to regular sack opportunities. Moreover, the disruptive supportive cast could help Lawrence enhance his stat sheet with a bunch of tackles for loss and quarterback hits generated on extra effort and hustle plays. Lawrence is poised to receive plenty of exposure, given the Cowboys’ brand and the team’s six prime-time games. The rookie from UCF could swipe the award with a productive season that features a series of splash plays.”
That Lawrence’s consideration for the honor qualifies as a “long shot” wouldn’t bother the 22-year-old in the least.
“I’m kind of used to being in the shadows,” Lawrence said during the team’s recent mincamp, per the Cowboys website. “It doesn’t faze me. Once the time comes, people will see the work that you put in. … Not being in the spotlight, if you get on Instagram, you probably won’t scroll and see my name, but you’ll probably see some other guys’ names. Once you kind of get to know who I was, it’s like I [came] out of the spotlight.”
Should Brooks hit with this particular lotto pick, Lawrence would be the first Cowboys player to win DROY since Micah Parsons in 2021. Coincidentally, it was the Parsons trade to Green Bay prior to last season that gave Dallas the late-first-round pick that they then dealt to Philadelphia for the selection they ultimately used on Lawrence.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: NFL.com analyst makes Cowboys rookie his long-shot pick for DROY award
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
