The 2026 NFL Draft is now solely a few week away. There’s been plenty of hypothesis and rumors the Dallas Cowboys are a group to look at with reference to buying and selling into the High 10 with both the Arizona Cardinals (3), Cleveland Browns (6), and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (9). And, true or not, it’s believed the Cowboys need to commerce up for Texas Tech Edge David Bailey.
David Bailey is anticipated to be a High 5 choice, that means the Cowboys would doubtless must commerce as much as No. 3 with the Cardinals to be able to safe his companies. To do this, it’s going to value Dallas each of their first-round picks (12, 20) and possibly even their third-rounder this 12 months as properly. That’s a hefty worth and three potential starters they’d be giving up for only one participant.
Pretty much as good as David Bailey is and is anticipated to be, giving up a lot draft capital to accumulate him by way of commerce is a troublesome tablet to swallow. That’s very true when there’s a participant eerily just like him the Cowboys may draft at No. 20 or in a slight commerce down state of affairs. That participant is none apart from UCF Edge Malachi Lawrence, somebody could have proven an curiosity in as properly.
Let’s check out how each David Bailey and Malachi Lawrence are near a mirror picture of each other.
As you may see from their measurements from the mix in addition to their testing numbers, each David Bailey and Malachi Lawrence are practically an identical throughout the board. Standing each other in pads and helmet it’d even be troublesome to inform them aside. Going by these numbers, it makes extra sense to neglect about buying and selling for Bailey in favor of Lawrence.
Whereas the bodily and athletic attributes matchup practically an identical between Bailey and Lawrence, everyone knows that doesn’t inform the entire story. The on-field manufacturing helps to finish the image and in that regard Bailey has the benefit, or so it could appear.
In his one season at Texas Tech, Bailey accrued 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, three compelled fumbles, and three passes defensed in 14 complete video games. He was a part of one of many higher defensive items in collegiate soccer final season, and as such, could or could not have benefited from the expertise surrounding him.
Lawrence, alternatively, performed on the expertise disadvantaged protection at UCF in 2025, accumulating 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two compelled fumbles, and three passes defensed in 12 complete video games. Would his manufacturing had been even higher had he been surrounded by the identical expertise Bailey was a Texas Tech? Possibly, possibly not.
David Bailey or Malachi Lawrence is an attention-grabbing debate and one solely the Dallas Cowboys can reply. Primarily based on the place every participant is projected to get drafted, it’s troublesome to think about giving up a lot draft capital to commerce up for Bailey with the same participant like Lawrence accessible for them within the latter a part of the first-round or little later. However, these are the sorts of questions and participant comparisons Dallas has to reply.
The place do you stand? Commerce up utilizing draft picks for Bailey, or keep put/commerce down for some like Lawrence.
