The Dallas Cowboys rounded out signing their stable of draft picks when defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence inked his contract Wednesday morning.
Lawrence's agent, David Canter, announced Lawrence's signing on Twitter.
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The Cowboys traded a third-round pick to the Washington Redskins to move up 13 spots to draft Lawrence at No. 34 overall -- a move that was met with skepticism from critics.
Lawrence is expected to play a key role in a defensive end rotation with George Selvie, Jeremy Mincey and Anthony Spencer in an attempt to replace the departedDeMarcus Ware. Lawrence will be expected to produce from the jump, as neither Mincey nor Selvie are exceptional difference-makers and Spencer is still recovering from a surgically repaired knee.
The 22-year-old pass rusher is uber-athletic with natural rushing ability. At 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, Lawrence has good size but currently lacks ideal bulk of an every-down edge rusher. However, he does have the benefit of working with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, one of the NFL's most highly regarded defensive line coaches.
Given his second-round status, Lawrence will be highly scrutinized out of the gate as he enters a Dallas defense devoid of talent. The loss of Sean Lee exacerbated an already weak defensive unit.
With few defensive difference-makers, Lawrence will be given an opportunity early during his rookie season to try to replace the previous DeMarcus' production.
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