Realistic for Malachi Lawrence to set Cowboys rookie sack record?

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Malachi Lawrence #51 of the UCF Knights waves to the crowd against the West Virginia Mountaineers after the game at at FBC Mortgage Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

As I was looking at all the rookies, I thought to myself, who holds the rookie sack record? I knew it was either Micah Parsons or probably DeMarcus Ware. Both are first and second on the list.

Without a true pass rusher on the roster, Malachi Lawrence should be set free from day one. Until Micah Parsons was drafted in 2021, Ware held the rookie sack record since 2005!

Ware is second on the list with 8 sacks, while Parsons tops the rookie sack list with 13. As noted, he did that in his rookie season in 2021.

Jimmie Jones is third on the list with 7.5 back in 1990, and DeMarvion Overshown is 4th on the list with 5, which he had when he was a rookie back in 2024.

Realistic Expectations

With that said, it got me thinking, could we see Lawrence make a run at the Parsons rookie sack record this season?

Let me first say that I don’t see it happening, but I also would not be surprised at all if he broke through and did it due to the lack of true pass rushers on this football team.

With Jadeveon Clowney still unsigned and Parsons gone, the team is on pace to have its third new sack leader in as many years. Clowney led the team a year ago with 8.5 and before that is was Parsons since 2021.

The Dallas defensive line is so much better, and they have a lot of really good players, but they don’t have a guy that just gets after the quarterback.

ESPN’s Ben Solak says #DallasCowboys edge Malachi Lawrence “is the sleeper to circle as defensive rookie of the year.”

CC: @1053SS @BobbyBeltTX

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Lawrence will probably take a few weeks, and maybe even a month, to find his footing, but I am telling you, right now he is the guy that I think could lead the team in sacks.

The Cowboys are going to need a lot of guys to produce 4 or 5 of their own to help boost the numbers.

Donovan Ezeiruaku is also another guy that could probably turn some heads, but it is a huge what if game right now with just about everyone. Who is going to earn the snaps?

The one hesitation I have is that Lawrence had a career high a year ago with 11 and two years ago produced 10.5, so jumping to the NFL and finding a way to get to 13.5 to set the Cowboys rookie sack record might be a bit of a stretch, but crazier things have happened.

This is for fun in predicting these types of things, so don’t come in here and call me an idiot and it won’t happen, because not every single thing you have said has happened 100% of the time.

It is the offseason and it is fun to try and find posts that might get some clicks and spark up a conversation.

At the end of the day, my honest guess is that Lawrence will probably end with 6 sacks, and have a decent year, but will probably have to earn his snaps to start the season, so he will be limited in the time he gets to rush the passer.

I can see his career being more like DeMarcus Lawerence and just being a really solid player for a number of years, don’t need to be a superstar, but hey, it would be awesome if he turned into that. Just show up, do your job, stay healthy and produce when your number is called.

A new era on defense in Dallas 😤

– Caleb Downs
– Malachi Lawrence
– Rashan Gary
– Kenny Clark
– Quinnen Williams

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But let me tell you, if he ends up somehow getting close to breaking this rookie sack record, I won’t act shocked because the raw talent is there, but now he is at the next level and his play is going to have to follow him to the NFL.

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Shane Taylor is a sports journalist with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and seven years of professional media experience. He has written 1,000 articles for Insidethestar.com, reaching over 1 million readers. Prior to Inside The Star, Shane worked as a Sports Reporter for The Journal Star and a Regional News Reporter for Shaw Media. He currently works in the Junior College in the TRIO department.

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