| No. 57 – Dallas Cowboys | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2003-07-21) July 21, 2003 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 253 lb (115 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | DuPont Manual (Louisville) |
| College |
|
| NFL draft | 2026: 1st round, 23rd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Malachi Lawrence (born July 21, 2003) is an American professional football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Lawrence was born on July 21, 2003 in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] He attended DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, where he played linebacker and tight end. He committed to the University of Central Florida to play college football in December 2020, originally under head coach Josh Heupel.[2]
College career
Lawrence played at UCF from 2021 to 2025.[3] Over his first two years he played in three games and had two tackles and 0.5 sacks. As a redshirt sophomore in 2023, he played in all 13 games and had 27 tackles and 7.5 sacks.[4] As a junior in 2024, he started 10 of 11 games and recorded 15 tackles and five sacks.[5][6] As a senior in 2025 Lawrence started all 12 games, while recording 28 tackles and seven sacks.[7] Lawrence was named a first-team All-Big 12.[8]
College
| Season | Team | Class | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||||
| 2022 | UCF | SO | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | UCF | JR | 13 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 10.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | UCF | JR | 11 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | UCF | SR | 12 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 11.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 39 | 72 | 47 | 25 | 28.0 | 20.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+3⁄8 in (1.94 m) | 253 lb (115 kg) | 33+5⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 9+5⁄8 in (2.07 m) | 4.52 s | 1.59 s | 2.64 s | 40.0 in (1.02 m) | 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) | |||
| All values from NFL Combine[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Lawrence was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL draft.[11]
References
- Keck, Matthew (April 24, 2026). "Manual alum Malachi Lawrence picked 23rd overall by Dallas Cowboys in NFL Draft". WLKY. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- Beede, Jason (December 13, 2020). "UCF lands commitment from top defensive end target". 247Sports. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- Teets, Samuel (November 11, 2025). "Chiefs scouting report: UCF Knights DE Malachi Lawrence". Chiefs Wire. USA Today. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- Boyle, Chris (December 3, 2023). "UCF football superlatives: Which players earned offensive, defensive MVP accolades?". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- Boyle, Chris (April 2, 2025). "For veteran UCF Knights football defensive line, violence is encouraged". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- Turner, Bryson (August 1, 2025). "UCF Defensive-Stopper Returns After Limited Spring". UCF Knights On SI. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- Landis, Ken (December 18, 2025). "2025 Football Season Recap". UCF Knights. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- Boyle, Chris (December 4, 2025). "UCF football pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence named to All-Big 12 1st team". Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Malachi Lawrence Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
- "Malachi Lawrence College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
- Walker, Patrik (April 23, 2026). "Malachi Lawrence drafted by Cowboys in 2026 first round". DallasCowboys.com. Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved May 19, 2026.