UCF EDGE Does Not Run Drills At Pro Day
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On Wednesday afternoon, several former UCF Knights football players, all vying for a chance at competing in the NFL, showcased their skills to scouts at the Knights' Pro Day.
EDGE Malachi Lawrence was not one of those players.
The four-year Knight out of Louisville, Kentucky, was in Orlando for the event to support his teammates. However, he did not work out for the scouts from 29 of 32 NFL teams that were present for the event. Though after the NFL Scouting Combine performance he had, he had little need to.
Lawrence ended up scoring the highest athleticism score of all defensive ends and EDGEs at the Combine, thanks to being the only one to finish among the top three in all four results he logged.
Drill | Result | Rank Among EDGEs/DEs |
|---|---|---|
40-yard dash | 4.52 seconds | 3rd |
10-yard split | 1.59 seconds | 3rd |
Vertical Jump | 40 inches | T-2nd |
Broad Jump | 10 feet, 10 inches | 2nd |
"It was a great feeling, just like showing, like, what I can do, what I can... my athletic ability, basically, just showing that and proving to the team like, I'm definitely one of those top EDGEs," Lawrence said.
Despite Lawrence's physical prowess, he ended with the 11th-highest score according to NFL Next Gen Stats' Draft Model, and tied for the eighth-highest prospect grade among EDGEs and defensive ends. His specific prospect grade, 6.33, does show promise for him, though, since it indicates he "will eventually be plus starter," according to NFL.com.
According to Chad Reuter, a Draft Analyst for NFL.com, Lawrence is an EDGE that raised his stock during the combine, writing he "stood out in a big way" with his workout performances and that his "straight-line speed showed up in drills, too, even if he was a bit linear in his movements."
Lawrence said that he has been polishing up his run defense, even after getting named an All-Big 12 First Teamer for his 28 tackles and 11 tackles for loss last season and finishing his UCF career with 20 sacks, the 10th-most in program history. He has also been projected to be selected as high as late in the first round, like CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, though analysts like Reuter have him "squarely in the Day 2 conversation," putting him as a second or third round selection.
"I try to, like, put it to the side, because I know, like, don't let my head get too big," Lawrence said on Wednesday. "Like, once I get there, that's just the start. Like, I'm gonna be the, probably the worst player on the team soon as I get there, maybe."
The NFL Draft gets underway on April 23 in Pittsburgh, though Lawrence said he "might" be back home in Louisville for the occasion.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
Biggest Highlights From UCF Knights Pro Day
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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