Sam Williams played sparingly as a rookie, but Cowboys reaped benefits
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If Tyler Smith caused a stir in Cowboys Nation when he was picked up in the first round, Sam Williams shook the drink. But unlike Smith, Williams didn’t seem to come out of left field. The Ole Miss pass rusher had been linked to the Cowboys ever since Dan Quinn actively participated in their March Pro Day.
Quinn took a shining to the 23-year-old defensive end from the start. As the day grew near, it became more and more apparent Williams was a top target in Round 2 (a round ahead of where many draft analysts projected). Low and behold, when Dallas went on the clock at pick 56, Williams was the name on the card. With Micah Parsons already on the roster, Quinn had his defensive bookends for the future firmly in place.
Like most players, Williams’ scouting report offered both good and bad areas of evaluation. He also had a polarizing off the field issue that soured him to some fans and teams around the NFL. Quinn saw enough to make sure Williams was a part of the Cowboys in 2022 and beyond.
Williams had a strong rookie season. A general theme on his scouting report was he had strength, grit and plenty of speed off the edge but he was often relying on natural ability and not technique. His 12.5 sacks his senior season set a school record but an apparent lack of flexibility and bend prevented him from being a top-tier edge rushing prospect in the Draft.
While Williams didn’t exactly put all criticisms to bed, he showed he was every bit worthy of being a second round draft pick. Williams logged four sacks and 22 total pressures in his first season. Quinn wasn’t scared to play Williams in critical situations and it largely paid off with Williams logging 273 snaps in the defensive line rotation and an additional 245 on special teams.
Despite playing in a crowed position group populated with names such as Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, and Dorance Armstrong, Williams carved out a regular role on defense.
Like Smith at left tackle, Williams was drafted as a raw player with tremendous upside. If he could be developed to his full potential he could be a high end EDGE player in the NFL. Based on his rookie season, he appears well on the way.
