Malachi

Lawrence

This will be a third-straight missed game for Turpin as he battles his rib issue. The 30-year-old has just seven targets on the season, but will again be missed by Dallas in the return game. Malachi Lawrence has also been ruled out by the Cowboys due to his ankle injury.

Lawrence becomes the latest first-round pick to sign his rookie deal. The UCF pass-rusher was one of two defensive players taken by the Cowboys in the first-round of this year’s draft as they hope to drastically improve a defense that allowed the most points per game (30.1) and third-most yards per game (377.0) last season. Lawrence totaled seven sacks in 12 games in his final season for the Knights while also breaking up three passes and forcing two fumbles. While he won’t fully make up for the loss of Micah Parsons, there’s hope he can generate a little more pressure on the quarterback after the Cowboys managed just 35 sacks last season.

Defense is clearly a focal point for the Cowboys on the first night of the draft, and for good reason. Dallas took S Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick. Lawrence brings a rare blend of explosiveness and production, with 18.0 havoc plays, 14.0 TFL and 7.0 sacks while posting a sparkling 14.1% pressure rate on 220 pass-rush reps. His 31 pressures, 8 sacks created and 2 forced fumbles reflect a disruptive presence who consistently converts speed-to-power and length into backfield chaos. Lawrence’s 79.5% run-stop share and 81.3% tackle rate show functional early-down utility, though his play strength and anchor can waver against bigger tackles. He blew away the Combine with 99th-percentile marks in the forty, vertical and broad jumps for an eye-popping 9.94 RAS. He wins with twitch off the snap, long-arm leverage and violent hand usage, flashing the ability to open inside lanes or corner when timing is synced. However, his linear rush style and lack of ideal bend show up when tackles get hands on him, often stalling his path at the apex of the rush.

At 6-foot-4 and 259-pounds, Lawrence looks like he is ready to step onto the field right away. He has fantastic size for a pass-rusher and will not need to worry about adding weight at all once he gets to the FBS. A Kentucky native, Lawrence also had some nice offers from Boston College, Tennessee, and a seemingly endless number of FCS schools around the country. Lawrence is UCF’s 19th 2021 commit so far.