Malachi Lawrence’s NFL stat line may look modest at first glance, but the former UCF EDGE is already making noise where it matters most: in the pocket.
Through his first two games with the Dallas Cowboys, Lawrence has put up a 26.9% pass rush win rate, the best mark among all rookies and well ahead of the next closest player, Cashius Howell, who sits at 17%. That number also places Lawrence fifth among all NFL EDGE rushers through two weeks.
The production has shown up in the pressure numbers, even if the sack column hasn’t caught up yet. Lawrence had five total tackles in Week 1, then added one takedown on Sunday, along with one QB hit and three pressures overall. The early returns point to a defender who is already flashing burst and flexibility off the edge.
That combination was a familiar one during his UCF days. Lawrence built his game around different ways to disrupt quarterbacks, using quick acceleration to win outside and a swim move to work back inside.
His next chance to get his first sack could come in Week 3 against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore’s offensive line was hit for three sacks and six QB hits in a 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
For Dallas, Lawrence has been part of an early defensive foundation that includes fellow first-rounder Caleb Downs. The Cowboys are looking for more from that side of the ball after last season’s struggles, and so far Lawrence has fit that profile.
His path through UCF was a major part of why Dallas made the pick. Cowboys co-owner, executive vice president, CEO, and director of player personnel Stephen Jones pointed to Lawrence’s decision to stay in Orlando for all four years.
"The character was just outstanding. I really look up to these men who stay with the schools who gave them their first opportunity," Jones said. "He had opportunities probably to take more money and go to a bigger school, but he felt like UCF had given him the opportunity and he wanted to give back."
Lawrence has echoed that same pride in what he built with the Knights.
"It's a standard now to be set I'd say," Lawrence said. "You can go to UCF and be a first round pick."
He wasn’t the only one around the program drawing attention. Lockett had already been tagged as a prospect for the next level, while Edwards is among the Big 12’s leaders in pressures off the edge.
Both Lockett and Edwards spent last year with Lawrence and saw his approach up close. If their early-season momentum keeps building, they could end up lining up against the former Knights standout on Sundays next year.
In Other News...
UCF Opens Big 12 Play Facing An Early Test They Cant Dodge
Big 12 play arrives quickly for UCF, and the opener in Orlando brings a familiar kind of early-season pressure. The Knights and TCU both come in at 2-1, both trying to sort out who they are after uneven starts, and both coaches have already pointed out the parallels in their seasons. TCU has steadied itself with back-to-back wins since its opening loss, while UCF is coming off a victory built around the run game and another start from Keyone Jenkins at quarterback.
For UCF, the larger question is whether that formula can hold once conference play begins and the margin for error gets thinner. TCU has already shown it can recover from an early setback, with Jaden Craig and Ed Small helping push the Horned Frogs into a better rhythm, and that makes this feel less like a warmup than a first real measuring stick. The Knights do not get the luxury of easing into the league schedule, and the answer to how well they can handle that test is about to start coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Change How Fans See Them
UCF is heading into a Big 12 matchup with TCU looking for a result that could do more than just add a conference win. Since joining the league, the Knights have gone 7-20, and that record has shaped the way they are viewed as they keep trying to climb above the low expectations that have followed them. This one feels like another measuring stick, and it comes against a defense that is built to force offenses to earn everything.
The challenge gets sharper because TCU has been particularly stout against the run, which means UCF may have to find answers in a game plan where space is limited and mistakes can linger. Offensive lineman Preston Cushman framed it as a matter of winning individual battles, with the Knights needing their playmakers to handle their business if someone up front slips. For UCF, the bigger question is not just whether it can move the ball, but whether it can do enough in a tough setting to start changing the conversation around the program. [Read more 🡒]
UCF May Have Found The Backfield Threat Fans Were Hoping For
Duke Watsons first few weeks at UCF have looked like the kind of backfield spark the Knights were hoping to uncover when they brought in the Louisville transfer. He broke loose for 177 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia State, flashing the burst and decisiveness that can change an offense in a hurry and quickly giving UCF a runner who looks comfortable in space and dangerous between the tackles.
Watsons fast start has done more than just put yards on the board. He has praised coach Scott Frost and pointed to his prior relationship with general manager Trent Mossbrucker as part of what drew him to Orlando, a reminder that UCFs transfer work has to fit both on and off the field. The bigger question now is whether this opening surge is a glimpse of what the Knights can ride all season, or just the first chapter of a much longer evaluation. [Read more 🡒]