Sam

Williams

An MRI confirmed the worst for Williams, who left Sunday’s practice with a knee injury. The Cowboys drafted Williams 56th overall in 2022. Through his first two years in the league, Williams has totaled 8.5 sacks and appeared poised for a breakout season this year. It’s a brutal blow for Williams and the Cowboys, who will likely be looking to add a pass rusher to the roster in the coming days.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport observed the incident, noting Williams “planted his left foot [and] grabbed immediately for the back of his left knee” before going down. The Cowboys’ defensive line lost multiple high-impact contributors from the 2023 unit, including EDGEs Dante Fowler Jr. (18.3 percent) and Dorance Armstrong (12.9 percent) who followed former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders this offseason. Both players finished top four on the team in QB pressure rate. The Cowboys starting defensive lineup is chock-full of elite players but the pass-rush depth is evaporating.

A major contributor to a solid Dallas pass rush in 2022, Williams could face a misdemeanor charge for the weapon he had when arrested in Frisco City. Williams, who had ten tackles for a loss and nine quarterback hits last season, could face a suspension later this season depending on the outcome of his case.

He suffered a concussion and neck strain in a car crash on Friday. Williams will likely be questionable for next week assuming the neck strain isn’t serious. The rookie EDGE has been a productive part of Dallas’ rotation on the defensive line.

Williams was involved in an accident “not far from team’s practice facility.” He was briefly treated at the hospital before being released. The No. 56 overall pick of last spring’s draft, Williams has three sacks on 233 snaps this season. He’s a rotational piece.

Williams (6’3/261) is a true project who was a standout basketball player in high school before deciding to play football as a junior. He was still very raw and didn’t have the grades to attend a major program, enrolling in JUCO where he learned the game and re-molded his body to play edge. Williams arrived on campus in 2019 and was starting by the fifth game of the season, posting 37 tackles, 9.5 TFL, and 6.0 sacks. In fact, he led the Rebels in sacks each of his three years on campus with a total of 22.5. He was named second-team All-American last year, recording 61 pressures, 57 tackles, 16.0 TFLs, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles to go with a pristine 90.2 PFF pass-rush grade in his breakout campaign. Though still developing, Williams’ athleticism is nothing short of outstanding as he ran a 4.46 40, a 99th percentile time that helped boost his overall relative athletic score to a sterling 9.72. He has the speed and flexibility to dip under tackles and terrorize around the edge and can turn on a dime to cross their face when tackles overset to neutralize his speed. He gave first-rounder Charles Cross all he could handle in the 2021 Egg Bowl, generating nine pressures. Williams’ move set needs refinement, and he has off-field issues in his past, but he could turn into a potential gem if he continues to evolve.

Williams (6'4/250) posted the second fastest time amongst EDGE players, and it would’ve been the fastest in a normal year if Amare Barno didn’t run a ridiculous time. Williams’ 4.46 is fantastic, and while he hasn’t been getting a ton of coverage for the draft he’ll get some deserved buzz for this top time.

Williams (6'4/250) has been one of the best pass rushers in the nation, having logged a total of 11 quarterback sacks, 43 pressures and 25 hurries per Pro Football Focus. Williams is viewed as one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and also has 31 total tackles on the season to go with four forced fumbles. Per the Ole Miss Network, Williams’ hip injury is more of a pain management thing. We will wait to see if head coach Lane Kiffin has anything to share on Williams’ status later in the week.

Williams (6'4/265) could have entered the 2021 NFL Draft, but he instead decided to return to school and take advantage of the “free year” that the NCAA gave all athletes due to COVID-19. And that decision could prove to be a very good one when the 2022 NFL Draft rolls around, provided Williams continues to improve. “The Ole Miss outside linebacker is built differently from other players on this list,” Hodgkinson wrote in his analysis. “At 6’4″ and 265 pounds, Williams is an absolute unit. He can line up at defensive end with his hand in the dirt or play stood up over the tackle. The Rebels even used him inside towards the end of the season. Williams is as strong as an ox, helping him set the edge in the run game and be disruptive as a pass rusher.”

Williams (6'4/250) was arrested early Friday morning. There are no further details as to the exact circumstance of his arrest, but the sexual battery charge is a felony one. In a statement, Ole Miss said that it would allow the legal system to play out in Williams’ case before making a determination on his status with the team. Williams initially signed on with the Rebs as a four-star JUCO recruit in the 2019 class. He worked as an eight-game starter for the Rebs last season, posting a team-leading six sacks, as well as 9 1/2 tackles for loss, in that space.