What if you were told the Dallas Cowboys led the NFL in pressure rate last season? It’s true, based on Pro Football Reference numbers, Dallas finished with a 31.2 pressure rate, just ahead of the second place Denver Broncos. The reason it might not have felt league-leading is because the Cowboys finished a disappointing 22nd in sacks.
The Cowboys’ impossibly low sack numbers were an indictment of their edge play. After trading Micah Parsons prior to the season, the Cowboys struggled to get quarterbacks to the ground in 2025. In 2026 they looked to change that after drafting Malachi Lawrence No. 23 overall in the draft.
Lawrence, 6-foot-4, 253-pounds, fits the prototype on the edge. His presence is sure to disrupt the Cowboys edge rotation from the start and could put jobs and/or roles in jeopardy this coming season.
As the Cowboys look to move to a 3-4 base defense in 2026, Lawrence projects as a clean outside linebacker. On the outside he’ll line up on the ball, rushing from the edge in the way DeMarcus Ware once did for Dallas so many years ago.
Malachi Lawrence is my pick for deepest pass rush bag in the 2026 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/KRai5xqRNj
It’s unlikely Lawrence will completely displace anyone on the edge right away. Donovan Ezeieruaku and Rashan Gary are fairly stable in their roles. Gary, specifically, will be a fixture outside on early downs. But on passing downs look for Lawrence to get the nod.
As a rotational piece Lawrence could impact James Houston most of all. Houston has been generally used as a pass rush specialist with the Cowboys. While that could certainly change under new coordinator Christian Parker, draft pedigree usually gets the benefit of the doubt and in Lawrence’s case, his pass rush is the most NFL-ready aspect to his game.
Lawrence will also impact the Cowboys' post-draft free agent shopping. The depth chart is far from being a finished product, so additions are expected at outside linebacker and defensive end. Lawrence, capable of playing edge in both a three-man and four-man front, will change the profile of who the Cowboys look for. Look for well-rounded veterans rather than unproven pass rush specialists in free agency.
With Lawrence and Ezeiruaku, the Cowboys now have two young edge players to build their defense around. It’s a new day in Dallas.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Which Cowboys jobs are in danger after drafting edge Malachi Lawrence