The early Malachi Lawrence panic might be getting a little ahead of itself.
Dallas took the pass rusher with the No. 23 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and that decision already has plenty of skeptics. Then Kansas City Chiefs rookie R Mason Thomas went out and lit up Monday Night Football in his NFL debut, which only turned up the volume on the debate.
Thomas, the Oklahoma alum and second-round pick, came through with a stunning sack of Bo Nix in Kansas City’s 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos and added another pressure against what was supposed to be an elite offensive line. On a national stage, he looked every bit like a player ready to explode. Lawrence, by contrast, looked raw and unfinished.
His first Cowboys action didn’t include a sack, and he also had trouble in space when asked to defend the run. That kind of outing will naturally frustrate fans, especially when another rookie edge rusher is making headlines elsewhere. But Dallas should not be changing its long-term view after one game.
Part of the difference comes down to role. Thomas is working in a clean pass-rushing lane on a Chiefs defense built to let him attack.
Lawrence, meanwhile, played just under half the snaps and was asked to do more. He had to handle the run and even drop into coverage.
That was always part of the plan. Lawrence was presented as a developmental player, and Christian Parker seems more than willing to let him learn on the job.
That means there will be rough patches. It also means Dallas is betting that the payoff comes later, when he grows into a key chess piece who stays on the field in every situation.
The Cowboys have made no secret of how much they value stopping the run, backing that up with investments in Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, and Quinnen Williams. Donovan Ezeiruaku going from below average to solid in that area only makes Lawrence look like a more natural fit for what Dallas wants up front.
Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with Lawrence’s tape, giving him a 34.8 overall grade and a 26.4 tackling grade. But the pass-rush work was more encouraging, with a 64.5 mark that suggests there was at least something to build on. He had a few good reps there, which should keep Week 1 from becoming a major alarm bell inside the building.
And if the question is which player profiles better as a long-term edge defender for a team that demands run defense from its starters, the answer still points toward Lawrence. He’s the 255-pound physical freak who has added strength every year, not the 240-pound player with shorter length and questions about functional power.
Judging a rookie after one game is always a dangerous game, especially when one is being developed as a long-term difference-maker for a bad defense and the other is stepping into an immediate role on a strong one. Lawrence deserves more than a single Sunday to prove Dallas was right.
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Cowboys-Ravens Brazil Trip Comes With One Serious Concern
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Brian Schottenheimer has already been talking about the logistical side of taking an NFL team to Brazil, and those details matter even more when the stadium itself is under scrutiny. The league has dealt with similar field issues in So Paulo before, so this is not just a one-off inconvenience for the Cowboys and Ravens - it is the kind of backdrop that can influence how both teams prepare, practice and protect players once they arrive in Rio. [Read more 🡒]