When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Malachi Lawrence in the first round back in April, their were immediate high expectations placed on him, especially with where he was drafted and the need the team had to find another productive edge. He’s gotten playing time in each of the first five games, but he’s logged just 117 snaps defensively, which is just over 23 per game.
So far in 2026, it’s been a struggle for the Cowboys defense as a whole, but the glaring lack of a pass rush is sticking out like a sore
thumb. Dallas has registered just five sacks so far, which is the second fewest in the NFL. According to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, help is coming in the form of Lawrence who will see his snaps go up.
Lawrence showed a flash of what could be from him as a pass rusher last Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ended up recording the first sack of his young career in the third quarter, which had to feel good for the youngster. Lawrence came into the league after racking up 20 sacks in his collegiate career at UCF, and he also had a ton of pass-rush upside.
The additions of Rashan Gary and Von Miller simply haven’t been good enough, and Donovan Ezeiruaku is still trying to find his way to be a consistent presence off the edge. The Cowboys’ defense needs a spark somehow when it comes to getting to the quarterback, and with the potential that Lawrence has, he certainly has a chance to be just that.
