Chiefs Draft Profile: Why Malachi Lawrence’s Combine is more than just testing

Every year, we see "NFL Combine warriors" who come out and perform extremely well, but when you turn on the tape, it tells a different story. Last year, another edge rusher, Shemar Stewart, put on a show at the combine, yet he never had two sacks in a season during his college career and failed to record a single sack in his rookie year with the Bengals. Being an athlete and being a great football player aren't always directly correlated in the NFL. We've seen poor athletes (by NFL standards) become great players, and we've seen elite athletes fail as players.

Malachi Lawrence's combine performance might have gotten overshadowed by some other names. However, his testing won't be a surprise to NFL teams, and neither is his tape. Lawrence has strung together several strong seasons as a pass rusher and now got to put those tools on display in Indianapolis.

The more we learn about this class, the more Day 2 edge rushers feel like a real sweet spot for the Chiefs in the draft. Lawrence is another example of a player with lots of tools that make sense at the top end of the second round, a key advantage the Chiefs have this year. Their second-round pick is essentially where they've been picking in the first round the last few years. The Chiefs' second-round pick could be just as important as the last few first-round picks they've made.

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NFL Draft Profile: Malachi Lawrence, Edge, University Central Florida

Age: 22 (on draft day)

Height: 6-4 (combine)

Weight: 253 LBS.

Hand Size: 9 1/4 inches

Arm Length: 33 5/8 inches

Tape Exposure: Texas Tech (2025), Baylor (2025), West Virginia (2025)

Shades of: Josh Sweat

Malachi Lawrence's background

Lawrence attended duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he played linebacker and tight end. Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, he committed to UCF out of high school, where he played his entire college career—a rarity in today's college landscape. He appeared in 39 games for the Knights, logging 28 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, 96 pressures, and three forced fumbles.

Malachi Lawrence's strengths

Pass Rush Ability

Has impressive bend around the edge for a player of his size and a powerful base that helps him convert speed to power. Frequently runs through the chest of blockers and has a diverse bag of pass-rush moves, including hand swipes and dips.

Athleticsm

Lawrence tested in the 99th percentile of edge rushers in Relative Athletic Score at the Combine. He had a 98th-percentile vertical jump and a 99th-percentile broad jump. That athleticism pops up on tape too; the closing speed is impressive. His explosive base helps him put tackles on the ground. He has lateral agility to cut in and out of breaks against blockers.

Non-Stop Motor

Always pressing to get to the quarterback or make the tackle, he can be seen making tackles well past the line of scrimmage. Will make plays against the run or on scrambles by having relentless pursuit of the ball carrier paired with great movement skills.

Malachi Lawrence Weaknesses

Production

While he does have a strong track record of production over his career, he seemed to "fatten up" on bad teams and went a little quiet against some of the better teams he faced. He was held to zero sacks against Texas Tech and BYU. With that being said, he also moved to each edge position to see different matchups.

Run Defense

An average edge setter and run defender. I wouldn't say he's a liability against the run as much as he is just average. He can get caught biting on misdirection and crashing down too hard on read options. He never had a PFF run-defense grade higher than 66 in his career.

First Step

Not an overly explosive or dynamic first step, despite being a lighter-framed rusher. He's not going to just run around the corner against blockers.

Is Malachi Lawrence another Day 2 option for the Chiefs?

This draft class is unusual because it has depth at edge rusher but lacks high-level star power at the top. The difference between top-of-the-first-round edge rushers and late first-round into Day 2 edge rushers is usually pretty stark. Lawrence is an ideal Day 2 edge because he flashes tools that suggest higher upside, but also comes with some projection. He profiles similarly to what the Chiefs were looking for in Felix Anudike-Uzomah or Boye Mafe, whom they almost traded for last winter: speed and juice off the edge but still enough power at the point of attack.

Malachi Lawrence possesses nice length paired with good burst and a deep pass-rush arsenal. He is an explosive and relentless pass rusher. With some limitations in run defense and speed around the edge, he profiles as a high-upside prospect on Day 2.

Round Grade: Red Chip (3rd round grade)