Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added solid, young defensive linemen in the past few drafts, the team is still looking for additional help in the trenches, and perhaps will add to that core with players from this year's NFL draft.

The Bucs will make their opening selection at No. 15 this Thursday night. This first-rounder is one of Tampa's seven picks, including three in the top 100.

BucsRoundtable is taking a closer look at potential fits for the Bucs, with respect to the current roster, positions of need, and the X's and O's of the team's on-field schemes.

  Bucs Roundtable has been studying the tape on top defensive talent that might interest the Buccaneers, including defensive ends Cashius Howell from Texas A&M and Miami Hurricane Akheem Mesidor, as well as elite linebackers like Indiana's Aiden Fisher and Georgia's CJ Allen.   

This profile spotlight Malachi Lawrence, an in-state defensive end out of UCF.

In today's landscape of college sports, staying at one university for an athlete's entire career is becoming more uncommon.

Lawrence, a Louisville, Kentucky, native, played all four years in Orlando. The 6-foot-4 edge rusher recorded 20 sacks at Central Florida, and had 72 total tackles and three forced fumbles.

Lawrence is quick off the line.

Lawrence saw a huge rise in draft stock following one of the best edge-rushing combine performances in recent NFL history.

He finished second among all defensive lineman in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.52 seconds, as well as the broad jump (10 feet, 10 inches), vertical jump (40 inches), and 10-yard split (1.59 seconds). His blazing 40-time came in just behind projected top-five pick David Bailey out of Texas Tech, who ran a 4.5 flat.

Lawrence's performance ranked him in the top 1 percent of Relative Athletic Scores in the past 40 years, scoring an unofficial 9.9 out of a possible 10. 

To put that in perspective, of 2026 draft prospects, almost all of the players who had a perfect 10.00 RAS (running back Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas tailback Mike Washington Jr.) and an RAS of 9.99 are skill players. The former list includes Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and his brother and fellow Buckeye, cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.; Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green; and Cincinnati receiver Jeff Caldwell.

Defensive tackle Jordan Van den Berg out of Georgia Tech also logged a 9.99 RAS.

Among non-skill position players with perfect or near-perfect scores were BYU long snapper Garrison Grimes (10.00), and three offensive linemen: Georgia's Monroe Freeling, Texas A&M center Trey Zuhn III, and Enrique Cruz Jr. out of Kansas.

Of the 2,046 defensive ends who have participated in the combine since 1987, Lawrence ranked 22nd, posting an elite grade in both composite explosion grade and composite speed grade.

Prior to the combine, Lawrence was seen as a late third-rounder in most mocks, but his impressive performance in late February's skills testing boosted projections into the second round. 

Lawrence combines his athletic abilities with polished technique and quick feet to pressure and pursue quarterbacks and ball carriers. He displays a powerful release off the line, using his 4.52-40 time to keep up with speedy backs.

He also has the ability to wreak havoc on the interior.

Although Lawrence excels at attacking inside gaps and bringing pressure inside, he needs to be more consistent in generating pressure on the outside.

Sometimes, running into bigger and more mobile tackles slows his progress.

Lawrence may be available for the Bucs second round selection (No. 46). 

His intangibles and speed provide a high floor, while still having much room for growth.

Lawrence would fit nicely next to returning Bucs like Yaya Diaby and Calijah Kancey and new faces like Al-Quadin Muhammad and A'Shawn Robinson.

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