The Dallas 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.

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 his last season at UCF made his case to be one. He finished with 28 tackles, 11 TFLs, and seven sacks. Over 39 career games in college, Lawrence 72 tackles, 28 TFLs, seven sacks, five passes defended, and three forced fumbles. But what caught scouts’ eyes was his performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFL Combine.

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. He still has to add some muscle to improve himself as a run blocker, but Lawrence should prove to be a great talent to be rolled out soon. He is also familiar with Cowboys assistant defensive line coach Demeitre Brim, who used to work as an analyst at UCF.

Dallas desperately needed a talented edge rusher. The team had been in some trouble after not re-signing Jadeveon Clowney, who had the most sacks on the board last season. Defensive ends like Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Sam Williams, and James Houston are still on the roster, but they have been underwhelming. Since Maxx Crosby is still a big maybe for the Cowboys, the Cowboys did well by getting someone like Malachi Lawrence.