Lawson was ranked as the 14th best player in the Canadian Football League's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2020 CFL Draft, and fourth by players in U Sports.[3] He was then drafted in the second round, 16th overall, in the draft, by the Montreal Alouettes.[4] However, he did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of both the 2020 CFL season and the 2020 U Sports football season. Instead, it was announced that he had signed with the Alouettes on January 20, 2021, to a rookie contract.[5] Following the team's training camp in 2021, he made the team's roster, but was the team's reserve player for the first three games of the season (did not dress in a game).[6] He played in his first professional game on September 3, 2021, against the Ottawa Redblacks in the Labour Day Classic.[6] He played in four regular season games that year and was on the reserve roster for the other 10 games and the East Semi-Final.[6]
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On May 3, 2022, the day of the 2022 CFL Draft, Lawson and the 13th overall pick were traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in exchange for the ninth and 18th overall selections in the draft.[7]