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NFL Dallas Cowboys

Return of Demarcus Lawrence Comes At Perfect Time For Dallas Cowboys

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is expected to make his rookie debut Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals after missing the first eight games of the season due to a broken foot, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for a defense in desperate need of a pass rush.

Lawrence totaled 20 sacks in two seasons at Boise State University and was one of the highest ranked players on the Cowboys’ draft board. In fact, Jerry Jones thought so highly of him that he moved up to take Lawrence with the second pick of the second round believing that he could get to the quarterback like his namesake who spent the majority of his career in Dallas.

Now fast forward to Week 9 where Lawrence will have his first opportunity to show the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL what kind of talent he really possesses. He must make an impact effective immediately for a reeling and injury-plagued defense. The Cowboys have just 10 sacks on opposing quarterbacks the entire season, and they got three of those in Monday Night’s loss to the Washington Redskins. Needless to say, that’s just not good enough if the team hopes to be a Super Bowl contender.

Lawrence has been practicing with the team for the past two weeks and should be up to game speed come Sunday morning. It’ll be an exciting thing to see how defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will use him to get after the quarterback, especially in third-down situations.

If Lawrence lives up to the hype and becomes a savior for the defense in his rookie season, great. If he performs at an average level, that’s cool too. If anything, he finally gives the Cowboys another body to send at the passer, and that’s the biggest victory of them all.

Kyle Nault is a NFL Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Him on Twitter @KyleOnTheDaily.

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