The story of the draft for the Dallas Cowboys was the selection of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Cowboys Nation is rarely unanimous about anything, but all celebrated the team’s first pick. The second first-round player shouldn’t be overlooked, though. And he’s being added to a group that has another strong candidate for a long-term career in Dallas.
Malachi Lawrence was a rising star in the last few weeks of the pre-draft process. He was linked to Dallas because of his connection to their assistant defensive line coach, Demeitre Brim, who coached Lawrence at UCF.
He is 6-foot-4, over 250 pounds, and has nearly 34-inch arms. That is an excellent frame for an outside linebacker, and combining that with a 1.59 10-yard split makes him a fun ball of clay to work with. He isn’t just a developmental prospect with great traits; Lawrence has a top-end array of pass rush moves, comparable to last draft’s pick, Donovan Ezeiruaku.
The similarities don’t stop there. Lawrence has two seasons with double-digit tackles for loss and over 7 sacks. Ezeiruaku has the same and more. Coming out of Boston College, Ezeiruaku was seen as a pass-rusher only, who wouldn’t hold up in the run, like Lawrence, but he was able to play over 600 snaps with 40 tackles and 9 tackles for a loss. There is a possibility that Lawrence can be improved as a run defender as well.
Rashan Gary will allow Lawrence to be a pass-rush specialist as a rookie, if necessary, as he develops. Still, the future at the position is set with bookend edge rushers selected in the top 50 the last two years. The Cowboys might not have a game-changer like Micah Parsons any longer, but a defensive line with Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Gary, Ezeiruaku, and now Lawrence has vastly improved since last offseason.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Back-to-back 2nd-round picks gives Cowboys edge duo for the future
Reporting by Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
