DeMarcus Lawrence

2nd-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

All-Pro Defensive End

PRO: With an immediate need for an impact player at right defensive end, the Dallas Cowboys packaged their original second (47th overall) and third round (78th overall) draft choices and moved up in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft in a trade with Washington to select DeMarcus Lawrence with the 34th overall pick. He was given the opportunity to compete for a starting spot during his first training camp, but a broken foot suffered in practice landed him on the Reserve/Injured-Returnable list, forcing him to miss the first eight games of the season. He played in seven regular season games, missing one with an injured chest, and both playoff games, tallying 11 tackles, one for a loss and six pressures. He had 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in the postseason. In 2015 Lawrence earned the starting nod at end, and finished with 13 starts in 16 games played, leading the team with 8.0 sacks. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season, then limited with a back injury as the season came to an end, playing nine games with three starts. Lawrence was named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2017 after tying for second in the NFL with a career-best 14.5 sacks and team-leading 52 pressures - the most by a Cowboys defender in a single-season since Charles Haley had 52 in 1994. He earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection following the 2018 season after pacing the team with 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for losses and 39 hurries. Leading up to training camp in 2019, Lawrence signed a five-year contract to keep him in Dallas for years to come. He then finished the 2019 season starting all 16 games - second consecutive, third time overall - and posting 40 tackles, 5.0 sacks (second on the team) with a team-best nine tackles for losses and 36 pressures (second). In 2020 Lawrence led the team in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (eight), pressures (37) and forced fumbles (four, tied for the most in his career) while finishing eighth with 52 tackles (second in his career).

TRANSACTION SUMMARY:

4/9/19: Signed a five-year contract extension through 2023. 

3/8/18: Signed a one-year contract with a franchise player tag. 

9/2/14: Placed on Reserve/Injured-Returnable with a foot injury and activated (11/1). 

5/9/14: Drafted in the second round (34th overall) by Dallas. 

2020:

• Started 15 games and led the team in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (eight), pressures (37) and forced fumbles (four, tied for the most in his career) while finishing eighth with 52 tackles (second in his career).
• Selected as a team captain for Week 2 against Atlanta (9/20), finishing with a season-high tying five tackles.
• Against the N.Y. Giants (10/11) notched three tackles, six pressures (season-high) and his first sack of the season, on which he forced a fumble that was recovered by Anthony Brown and returned 29 yards for a touchdown.
• Tallied four tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, two hurries and a fumble at Philadelphia (11/1).
• In the game at Baltimore (12/8), made his 75th career start and tallied three tackles and a hurry.

2019:

• Signed a five-year contract extension in April, keeping him a Cowboy through 2023.
• Selected as a team captain and started all 16 games for the third time in his career - second consecutive - and notched 40 tackles, 5.0 sacks - second on the team - nine tackles for losses - first - 36 pressures - second - three breakups, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
• Recovered fumbles in the opener against the N.Y. Giants (9/8) and against Miami (9/22).
• Had his first full sack of the season in the Dolphins game, then had a season-best six tackles with two hurries against Minnesota (11/10).

2018:

• Selected to his second straight Pro Bowl, starting 15-of-16 games played and leading the team in sacks (10.5), tackles for loss (12) and hurries (39) while adding 47 tackles (seventh on the team), one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
• Logged consecutive double-digit sack totals for the first time in his career and the first Cowboy since DeMarcus Ware logged five straight (2007-11).
• Opened the season with sacks in each of the first two games, playing in his 50th career game in Week 2 against the N.Y. Giants (9/16).
• Tied his career-high with 3.0 sacks against Detroit (9/30) for ninth on the Cowboys all-time sack list (29.0).
• Had a career-best five tackles for loss to go with three tackles and a pressure at Washington (10/21).
• Added four tackles and a sack/forced fumble against Tennessee (11/5).
• Reached 10.0 sacks on the season with a sack/fumble in the finale at the N.Y. Giants (12/30).

2017:

• Named to his first career Pro Bowl after tying for second in the NFL with a career-best 14.5 sacks and team-leading 52 pressures - the most by a Cowboys defender in a single-season since Haley had 52 in 1994.
• Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month (September) with a league-best 6.5 sacks in the first three games.
• In the opener against the N.Y. Giants (9/10), had his second career multi-sack game (1.5), with two tackles, one for a loss and a breakup.
• Had his third career - second consecutive - multi-sack game, finishing at Denver (9/17) with 2.0 along with five tackles, four hurries and a forced fumble that was recovered by Maliek Collins and led to a Dallas touchdown.
• Was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his career-best 3.0-sack performance at Arizona (9/25). Became just the third NFL player (Mark Gastineau, 1984, and Kevin Greene, 1998) to have three multi-sack games in each of the first three games of a season. Added a career-best seven pressures.
• Logged a sack in his fourth consecutive game along with four tackles, one for a loss, two hurries and a forced fumble against the LA Rams (10/1), then added a sack (fifth straight game), a tackle for loss, one pressure and one tackle against Green Bay (10/8).
• Extended his sack streak to six games, becoming the ninth NFL defender (10th time overall) to record a sack in each of the first six games of the season, with one at San Francisco (10/22). Forced and recovered a fumble on the sack to go with three tackles and a pressure.
• Added a sack in his seventh straight game - second Cowboy, seventh in league history - with a sack in each of the first seven games of a season with one at Washington (10/29).
• Notched his fifth career multi-sack game with 2.0, along with a forced fumble, two tackles, one for a loss and five pressures against Washington (11/30).
• Added five pressures and five tackles in the win at the N.Y. Giants (12/10), then had a sack - giving him 14.5 for the season, fourth-highest in team history - against Seattle (12/24).

2016:

• Played in nine games (three starts), missing the first four due to a league-mandated suspension, and the final three with a back injury - finishing with eight tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and 13 hurries.
• Served a four-game suspension to start the year and returned for the win against Cincinnati (10/9). 
• Had three tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, a pressure and a forced fumble in the win at Pittsburgh (11/13).
• Had his first start of the year in the win over Baltimore (11/20) with one hurry.
• Logged a team-best five hurries in the Thursday night win at Minnesota (12/1).
• Missed the final three games of the regular season (back) but returned for the Divisional Playoff Game against Green Bay (1/15/17) and had three tackles, one for a loss and two pressures as a reserve.

2015:

• Played in all 16 games with 13 starts and led the team with 8.0 sacks, was second with 31 pressures, third with eight tackles for losses and eighth with 56 tackles.
• Made his first career start and had a pair of tackles with a hurry in the opening win over the N.Y. Giants (9/13).
• Posted four tackles, three pressures and his first career regular season sack at New Orleans (10/4).
• Logged his first career multi-sack game with 2.0 at Washington (12/7). The first was on the first play of the game, and his second was on the third play on which he also forced his first career fumble. Added two more tackles, one stop for loss and a hurry before the day ended.
• Had five tackles, a sack and two hurries at Green Bay (12/13) then added his third straight game with a sack, posting one, with four tackles, four stops for losses and a hurry against the N.Y. Jets (12/19).
• Had a sack in his fourth straight game, along with five tackles and two hurries at Buffalo (12/27).
• Tied his season-high with six tackles along with two pressures in the season-ending loss to Washington (1/3/16).

2014:

• Landed on Reserve/Injured-Returnable as the season opened after breaking his foot in a training camp practice.
• Played in seven regular season games, posting 11 tackles, one for a loss, and six pressures. 
• Played in both playoff games, finishing with one stop, 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a hurry and a forced fumble.
• Made his NFL debut against Arizona (11/2) and posted three tackles and a pressure. 
• Had three tackles and a season-best three hurries in the season-ending win at Washington (12/28).
• In the Wild Card Playoff Game against Detroit (1/4/15), had the game-sealing play on a sack/fumble that he also recovered. Finished with one tackle, the sack and forced fumble, one pressure and two fumble recoveries.
• Posted a sack in the Divisional Playoff Game at Green Bay (1/11/15).

COLLEGE:

• First-team All-Mountain West and was named Boise State's Most Valuable Defensive Player, ranking third on the team with 72 tackles and forced three fumbles after starting each of his 12 games played as a junior.
• As a sophomore, started each of his 11 games played during his debut season with the Broncos and was named the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman after transferring from Butler Community College.
• Named first-team All-Mountain West after recording team highs with 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, while also leading all Bronco defensive lineman with 48 tackles.
• Earned second-team NJCAA All-America honors and was named first-team All-Jayhawk Conference, finishing with 69 tackles and team highs with 21 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks at Butler Community College.
• Redshirted as a true freshman.

PERSONAL:

• Attended Silver Bluff High School in Aiken, S.C. 
• Was a North-South All-Star selection his senior year in high school after playing tight end, offensive tackle and defensive end for the Bulldogs.
• Recorded 97 tackles and 3.0 sacks from the defensive tackle position during as a senior.
• Has three children, and he and his wife, Sasha, were married in the spring of 2019.
• Majored in communication at Boise State.

COMMUNITY:

• 2014 Rookie Club presented by UnitedHealthcare.
• 2014 NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM® school visit.
• 2014 Home Run Derby Competition benefiting the Salvation Army.
• 2014-19 Dallas Cowboys U High School Camp.
• 2014 NFL Play 60 clinic, London, England.
• 2014 Fan Appreciation Pep Rally, London, England.
• 2015-16, 2020 Served an early Thanksgiving Meal at The Salvation Army.
• 2017 Dallas Cowboys Draft Day/Fan Appreciation Party.
• 2017 The Salvation Army Disaster Relief Telethon for Hurricane Harvey.
• 2017-18 Bike Donation to Elementary School kids presented by Academy Sports.
• 2018-19 NFL My Cause My Cleats Campaign.
• 2019 Hosted youth football camp in Aiken, S.C.
• 2020 Cowboys Draft Live virtual draft party.
• 2020 COVID-19 relief.
• 2021 Draft-A-Thon.
• Annual Team Holiday Hospital Visits.
• Kick Off Luncheon and Dallas Cowboys Family Cookbook benefiting Happy Hill Farm.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.
• Salvation Army Angel Tree Christmas Program.