There have only been 3 times in football history that NFL teams have drafted a pair of future Pro Football Hall of Famers in the 1st round, and only once when they were both on the defensive side of the ball.
That happened in 1995, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted defensive tackle Warren Sapp at No. 12 overall, then selected inside linebacker Derrick Brooks at No. 28 overall.
To get to that point, you have to end up with 2 1st-round picks in the 1st place and have a pretty pressing need on that side of the ball. You only get to that point when things have gone pretty bad for your franchise.
In 2026, that was the Dallas Cowboys, who ended up with 2 1st-round picks and used them on 2 defensive players — Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall and UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall.
While Downs has received all of the hype to this point, it’s Lawrence who, according to NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, is a “long shot” pick to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“The Cowboys’ rebuilt defensive lineup will put the rookie alongside a collection of veteran playmakers commanding significant attention at the line of scrimmage,” Brooks wrote. “With opponents forced to deal with Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and Kenny Clark at the point of attack, Lawrence will see plenty of one-on-one matchups on the edge, leading to regular sack opportunities. Moreover, the disruptive supportive cast could help Lawrence enhance his stat sheet with a bunch of tackles for loss and quarterback hits generated on extra effort and hustle plays. Lawrence is poised to receive plenty of exposure, given the Cowboys’ brand and the team’s six prime-time games. The rookie from UCF could swipe the award with a productive season that features a series of splash plays.”
Malachi Lawrence Fine With Being Overlooked
Lawrence got used to playing out of the national spotlight at UCF — and still delivering big-time numbers — so having Downs receive all the attention matters very little in this case.
“I’m kind of used to being in the shadows,” Lawrence told the Cowboys’ official website. “It doesn’t faze me. Once the time comes, people will see the work that you put in … ”
The Cowboys have had zero identity at edge rusher since trading NFL All-Pro Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just weeks before the 2025 season.
Lawrence, 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds, had 19.5 sacks and 27.5 TFL over the last 3 seasons and ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine — numbers that still didn’t make him a 1st round pick in most mock drafts.
Compared to Super Bowl Champion Edge Rusher
One of the industry’s most respected draft experts — NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein — predicted Lawrence would fall to the 2nd round. In that same breath, Zierlein compared him to Super Bowl champion edge rusher Josh Sweat, who has been 1 of the NFL’s dominant players at his position the last several years on the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys are paying a pretty penny for the 2 1st-round picks as well. The 4-year, $20.2 million contract Lawrence signed makes him the 2nd-highest paid edge rusher on the Cowboys behind just Rashan Gary.
“An NFL-caliber edge rusher with prototypical size and length, Lawrence moves with the suddenness of a smaller player,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft analysis. “Explosive get-off and a deep bag of moves/counters fuel his pocket disruption. He can win inside or outside but his speed-to-power conversion is average. His hands are subtle but skilled to quickly unlock openings and his secondary rush. He closes with burst and has the motor to hound scrambling quarterbacks. The next level will bring better tackles and more quick-sets, which will test how well his production translates. He makes splash plays behind the line but must provide better consistency and discipline in run support. Lawrence is an ascending prospect with rush polish and pro traits that should be enticing for pressure-hungry defenses.”
Cowboys 1st Round Pick Predicted to ‘Swipe’ NFL Defensive ROY Honors