DeMarcus Ware comparisons? Cowboys' 1st-round pick 'Has some of those traits'
Malachi Lawrence was called a reach by some at No. 23, but the Cowboys feel very confident in the second of their 1st-round picks.
Not everyone agreed on the Cowboys using the No. 23 overall pick on Central Florida's Malachi Lawrence. Not even within the Cowboys' own draft room.
Team owner Jerry Jones admitted there was "a heated discussion" prior to Thursday night's proceedings that pitted Lawrence against another player who went unnamed. When that player was selected "way earlier," Jones said, there was consideration given to letting "the decision on Lawrence go for about eight or 10 more [picks]" as Dallas looked to trade back even further than the three spots they had already ceded in a deal with the Eagles for No. 20.
But the compensation "wasn't there," Jones revealed, so they turned in Lawrence's card, confident they had gotten one of their top targets. Malachi’s moment 📞 #CowboysDraft | @ATT pic. twitter.
com/Ix3b01aCTg — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 24, 2026 The 22-year-old spent five seasons at UCF, and even turned down more money from other programs to stay with the Knights, something Cowboys vice president of player personnel admits factored into their character evaluation. Now he'll suit up alongside Pro Bowler Rashan Gary, rising star Donovan Ezeiruaku, and pleasant surprise James Houston in a new-look DE group for first-year coordinator Christian Parker. "We feel great about what we have with RG and Ezeiruaku and James Houston," said Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer during the team's press conference to wrap up Day 1 of the draft .