UCF's defensive stars set to unleash their athletic prowess at the NFL Combine, aiming to impress with speed, strength, and a diverse pass-rush arsenal.
The day has arrived for UCF's defensive end tandem of Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly to show their skills at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine. Edge rushers will take the field at 2:00 p.m. Thursday as they prepare for a variety of drills and tests in front of NFL General Managers.
Lawrence and Kelly will partake in more than six different workouts, including the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump.
Both Kelly and Lawrence had impressive 2025 campaigns for UCF, taking home conference honors and earning invites to the Senior Shrine Bowl.
Lawrence had the fifth-highest pressure rate (pressures per pass-rush snap) among all FBS edge defenders, according to PFSN, pressuring opposing quarterbacks on 22.7% of his pass-rushes. This was the same percentage as potential No. 1 pick and First-Team All American Rueben Bain Jr.
During his time at UCF, Lawrence dealt with a lot of new faces in the coaching staff. But, he says that the variety of people he learned under helped him develop. Prior to Senior Night, he reflected on what he has picked up from these different coaches.
"Its been a great journey. You know, just going through the different coaching staffs, getting to know people, build different relationships, its been pretty good," Lawrence said. "Just having different coaches as well, learning new schemes and also getting to grow my football IQ."
These are promising words for an NFL franchise to hear, especially one looking for an instant-impact player on their defensive line.
One of the first things that will stand out to a team potentially looking to draft Lawrence is his build. Lawrence stands 6'4, weighing in at 260 pounds with 35-inch arms. Lawrence has also been credited for his plethora of pass-rush moves, being able to mix up his plan of attack throughout the game.
ChiefsWire on USA Today writer Samuel Teets broke down what team's can look for with Lawrence.
" Lawrence gets off the line quickly and displays eye-catching acceleration working off hesitation moves. He posts some quick wins around the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder by dropping his hips to flatten his rush angle," Teets wrote. " Lawrence’s pass rush plan includes chops, club-swims, inside spins, long-arms, rips, swims and swipes. He doesn’t have an instant-win rush move but does a good job combining moves in his rush plan and keeping his hands active throughout the play. This helps him stay alive late in downs and generate pressure on his second effort."
Kelly, previously seeking a possible medical redshirt, made the decision to enter the NFL Draft in mid-January. He penned a message to the UCF-faithful on his Instagram, expressing his gratitude for the time he spent in college.
"I have been blessed and fortunate over the past two seasons, to have played for Coach Frost and the entire Knights Coaching Staff. Thank you for the amazing opportunity to be a part of Knight's Nation," Kelly wrote.
Kelly racked up 12.5 sacks during his career, while accumulating over 100 tackles. Kelly also led the squad this past season with eight quarterback hurries.
Kelly is a former four star recruit, according to 247 Sports. He played his high school ball at Dillard in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Both Kelly and Lawrence provide intrigue for NFL teams looking to bolster their defensive line presence.