It's the final countdown...
If you're an NFL Draft enthusiast and also enjoy music from arguably the greatest era of music, ever, then you also might have Joey Tempest's words ringing beautifully in your ears at this moment.
The Dallas Cowboys are in an intriguing spot going into the 2026 NFL Draft and this fan base is eagerly awaiting to see just what exactly Jerry Jones decides to do with a pair of first-round picks. It's the first draft since parting with not only a franchise icon in Micah Parsons, but a former All-Pro in Trevon Diggs.
It's truly a new epoch for Jones and the Cowboys, but how will they go about the many different directions available in the first round? That's the question fans are asking.
Taking a look at ESPN and their latest content, Peter Schrager put together his final mock draft and, of course, he has a big Cowboys trade going down.
Cowboys get: Picks 9 and 29
Chiefs get: Picks 12 and 20
We've already talked about what the Cowboys do at No. 9, but let's look further into the player Schrager has Dallas snagging at 29 overall.
A Malachi Lawrence-Dallas Cowboys selection in the first round could have draft experts widely split
Yes, Schrager has the Cowboys taking edge rusher Malachi Lawrence out of UCF, which would be the second defensive player taken in this first round. But, would Lawrence be good enough to come in and fill the monumental shoes left vacant by Parsons?
I don't think anyone is expecting one single player to come in and do that, but Lawrence is someone who shows a ton of upside.
Yet, when you look at some recent draft rankings and big boards, Lawrence does not show up in those top 32.
For example, FanSided's own Mike Luciano released his Big Board which includes a list that runs 50 players deep ... and Lawrence is nowhere to be found.
But, if you asked someone like NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah, Lawrence slots in as his no. 40 overall player.
The point is, Dallas would be taking a bit of a risk by drafting Lawrence in the first round. However, if he's who the Cowboys have highest on their board at the time and over other players like T.J. Parker or Zion Young, for example, then they can plant their flag and take him.
The Cowboys know they need an edge rusher, but they won't pick again until No. 92 overall, barring another trade. Lawrence has the prototypical size, length and overall traits to be a very good pass rusher in the NFL. Is there a chance he becomes elite?
If Lawrence can find a way to become a little bit stronger and refine his technique when it comes to shedding blockers, then there's certainly a chance.
But, it is worth noting that he has not been getting first-round buzz until now. If you're a Cowboys fan, you've probably noticed his name come up a lot more recently. But, it took a long time to happen.
Lawrence totaled 20.0 sacks, 28.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles during his time at UCF.
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