While Caleb Downs dominates the headlines, Bucky Brooks eyes edge rusher Malachi Lawrence as a Defensive Rookie of the Year dark horse primed to exploit favorable one-on-one matchups.
FRISCO - Around these parts, for all of the glitz and the glamour that goes with Dak Prescott's side of the football, the Dallas Cowboys' defense has been the talk of the offseason.
And why not, with Christian Parker coming in as the new coordinator to oversee a revamped unit coming off an NFL-worst performance?
Add to that the swift and notable changes in personnel, with no fewer than 10 new players set to either start, rotate in, or get a shot at doing so being featured on the defensive side of the ball for Parker after free agency and the NFL Draft. ...
And yes, it's all very buzzy.
Caleb Downs is the centerpiece of Dallas' offseason business, dropping to the Cowboys at pick No. 11 in the recent NFL Draft, and we see Downs as the glue that will hold the secondary together and limit the rash of explosives allowed - not to mention unit-wide confusion - that doomed the defense last season.
But because so much of the focus has been on Downs due to just how special he is, Dallas' "other'' first-round pick, Malachi Lawrence, has become a bit of a forgotten man around here.
Now, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer doesn't see it that way.
Said Schotty recently: "The talent is real.''
And how might that "talent'' manifest itself? NFL.com's Bucky Brooks, the former scout, in making his long-shot picks for big NFL awards, is tabbing Lawrence as 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.
"The rookie from UCF could swipe the award with a productive season that features a series of splash plays."
Keep in mind that Brooks is talking "long-shots'' here. Nevertheless, this is a gigantic chunk of recognition at least of Malachi's talents ... if not of the realities of the depth chart of this remodeled defense.
Brooks mentions "Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark'' as factors here. But Williams and Clark are mostly interior guys; it's Gary who will be on the edge and who will play ahead of Lawrence. Donovan Ezeiruaku will be the other starting edge guy.
And then there are guys like James Houston and Sam Williams to compete with.
So for right now, Malachi is trying to figure out a new position well enough to be the first edge off the bench.
His own thoughts on his possible emergence?
"I'm kind of used to being in the shadows," Lawrence said. "It doesn't faze me. Once the time comes, people will see the work that you put in ...
"Not being in the spotlight ... if you get on Instagram, you probably won't scroll and see my name, but you'll probably see some other guys' names. Once you kind of get to know who I was, it's like I (came) out (into) the spotlight."
Lawrence's athleticism is top-of-the-charts, as the UCF product showed up for the Scouting Combine with a 40-inch vertical jump and a 1.59-second 10-yard split.
"I knew I was going to kill the Combine," Lawrence said. "It was just funny hearing all the mocks and stuff like that. But yeah, being in the shadows and then rising to the top, I'm kind of used to that."
So could he get so "used to the NFL'' that he takes top rookie honors? What sort of season would the 6-4, 250-pound Lawrence need to have in order to achieve that?
One example: Jared Verse won the award in 2024 and posted 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits, while starting 16 games for the Rams. Oh, and he made the Pro Bowl too, thanks to 76 pressures.
So that is the level that Lawrence has to approach. It's a lofty target.
Oh, and the likes of David Bailey (Jets) and Arvell Reese (Giants) and Dallas' own Downs are the top candidates to take home the award.
But Lawrence as a dark-horse working to emerge "out of the shadows''? That concept certainly adds to the Cowboys' positive defensive buzz.
