The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys remain tied together through one of the league’s biggest blockbuster trades, and the latest chapter came during the 2026 NFL Draft. Attention quickly turned to what Dallas would do with the first-round pick acquired from Green Bay in the Micah Parsons deal.
That selection landed at No. 20 overall after the Packers sent the pick as part of the package for Parsons. Rather than stay put, Dallas chose to move down, continuing an active draft strategy built around adding value and increasing their total number of selections.
Dallas traded the No. 20 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles and slid back to No. 23 overall. In return, Dallas gained additional draft assets, strengthening their position later in the draft while still remaining in range for a player they clearly valued.
With the 23rd selection, Dallas chose UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence. The move addressed one of the franchise’s clearest roster needs after moving on from Parsons, giving Dallas a young pass rusher with upside and a chance to become a foundational defensive piece.
Dallas Cowboys Use NFL Draft Pick From Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons Trade on Malachi Lawrence
Dallas made some moves on draft night and ultimately selected Lawrence using the pick they got from trading Parsons. This can be seen in an article by Zach Kruse for Packers Wire.
How did the Cowboys spend the pick on Thursday night?
Dallas first traded down, sending the 20th pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 23rd pick, 114th pick and 137th pick — allowing the Eagles to select USC receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20.
Three picks later, the Cowboys took edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall.
Lawrence is 6-4, 253 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds after producing 28 tackles for loss and 20.0 sacks over a 39-game career at UCF. He ranked as the 36th overall player and No. 7 overall edge rusher in the class for Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
From Green Bay’s perspective, the trade was always about acquiring an established star in Parsons rather than waiting on a rookie. For Dallas, turning the franchise’s surrendered first-rounder into Lawrence plus added picks represented an attempt to spread value across multiple assets.
The full judgment on the trade will take time, as Parsons’ impact in Green Bay and Lawrence’s development in Dallas will shape the final verdict. But on draft night, the Cowboys used the pick to secure a promising defender while adding extra resources for the future.
