Every year after the NFL draft, there is a small movement by a group of draftees to perhaps change some of the stipulations that come in their contracts from the their new teams. It’s mostly a symbolic gesture, since the finances of the deals are pre-arranged, determined by the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the union. But there are sometimes terms that players want addressed. And, if Dallas Cowboys No. 23 overall pick Malachi Lawrence had something to protest, he folded his hand this week, finally signing his first NFL contract.
Lawrence is the less heralded of the two Cowboys first-round picks, with safety Caleb Downs getting early run as a future face of the franchise type. But it could be argued that getting immediate dividends on Lawrence could be more important to the Cowboys than Downs, because the team has a deep safety room and is much less certain about the pass rush.
He had been, though, quietly holding out on the Cowboys recently.
Cowboys Finally Get Malachi Lawrence Signed
There wasn’t necessarily a doubt about whether Lawrence will sign, and he has been able to participate in spring team activities even without having done so. But he was, until this week, the lone Cowboys rookie to be without a contract.
As Tommy Yarrish of the team’s website wrote: “Cowboys first-round pick Malachi Lawrence has signed his four-year, $20.22 million rookie deal with the Dallas Cowboys. With Lawrence officially putting pen to paper, all seven of the Cowboys’ 2026 draftees have been signed to their rookie contracts.”
Yarrish continued: “Now, the focus can shift completely back to the football field, where the Cowboys will continue their 2026 OTAs on June 8.”
‘Malachi Lawrence Is Picking It Up’
Certainly, the initial returns on Lawrence have been good, but it is important to remember that as of this week, the Cowboys have performed exactly zero practices in full pads. OTAs (and the rookie camp that came in early May) are essentially passing camps, and while Lawrence can showcase his level of fitness and smarts during these practices, he can’t show the speed and strength he is going to need to hold up as a first-round pass-rusher.
Again, though, it is a so-far-so-good situation.
“Malachi Lawrence is picking it up really, really quickly, and we’re very excited about that.” coach Brian Schottenheimer said.
Cowboys Hoping Pass Rush Holds Up
Generally speaking, the Cowboys pass rush has been an area of concern. They went out and traded for Rashan Gary of the Packers, and are hoping that Donovan Ezeiruaku can show second-year growth. Most of the players the Cowboys will trot out on the edge have talent, but are still very much unproven.
Still, Schottenheimer had some enthusiasm. He said: “I am going to start with Donovan Ezeiruaku going into Year 2. There is a reason we felt so highly of him going into last year. Then you look back and knowing that he played the last number of games with some ailments.
“You go out and get a guy like Rashan Gary who I’ve been blown away by. His professionalism, his leadership, he is a grown-ass man. You just watch him work and he understand what work ethic it takes to be be a great player, I am really, really excited about that.”
Cowboys Finally Get Good News on 1st-Round Pick Holdout