UCF DE Malachi Lawrence selected 23rd overall by Dallas Cowboys at 2026 NFL Draft

ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 26: UCF Knights defensive end Malachi Lawrence (51) looks on during a game between the BYU Cougars and the UCF Knights on October 26, 2024 at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Ricky Bowden/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For the first time since 2018, a UCF Knight is off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft.

With the 23rd pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence was the fifth Big 12 player and fourth defensive end to hear his name called on the stage in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. He is the fifth UCF first rounder in history, joining an exclusive group consisting of Daunte Culpepper (1999), Blake Bortles (2014), Breshad Perriman (2015), and Mike Hughes (2018).

Lawrence spent all five of his collegiate seasons at UCF, suiting up for the Knights through several key transitions, including the American Conference to Big 12 move in 2023, as well as the Gus Malzahn to Scott Frost head coaching change in 2025.

Lawrence’s ascension lined up with the Knights’ admittance into the Big 12. After seldom playing time in 2021 and 2022, the defensive end elevated his stock in 2023 with 7.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, securing All-Big 12 honorable mention despite operating primarily in a reserve role. The Louisville, KY native moved into a starting gig in 2024, racking up five sacks and six tackles for loss.