Grading the Cowboys 56th overall pick: Ole Miss Edge Sam Williams

With the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected edge rusher Sam Williams from Ole Miss. The Cowboys had a void to fill with the loss of Randy Gregory and now they will turn to Williams as their next quarterback hunter.

Williams was ranked 80th on Daniel Jeremiah’s Big Board so the Cowboys taking him at 56th might seem like a reach. But, the Cowboys are nothing, if not consistent, and when they love a player they take him. Dallas was at this player’s Pro Day in Oxford, Mississippi, and they also gave him one of their official prospect invites before the draft.

Grading the Cowboys’ third-round draft pick of Ole Miss DE Sam Williams

Grade: B

The Cowboys filled another need at edge rusher and Williams is a good player with elite college production.  He had 12.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last season and was named second-team All-American.

This pick was given a B because Williams does fill a need for Dallas. He should have the opportunity to be a day one starter and make an immediate impact opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence. It didn’t get an A because I think he was selected a little early given he fell pretty far down draft boards due to some off-field issues.

In my mock draft, I had the Cowboys taking Williams at 99th overall. There is a solid chance he would have still been available to the Cowboys for the 88th overall pick. You have to think that whatever the front office and Williams talked about during his visit was positive enough to pick him so high despite legal concerns. Ultimately, I would have felt much better about him if he went in the third round.

The best trait Williams brings to the Cowboys’ defense is his athleticism. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and he can cover plenty of ground in the run game. His speed also helps him get around the edge and get after the quarterback. I think the Cowboys see him as a similar player to Micah Parsons. Parsons even congratulated the edge rusher when he got drafted.

When asked how he describes himself as a football player Williams sounded very similar to the Cowboys’ 2021 first-round pick:

The Cowboys needed to add some grit and toughness to their roster so Williams looks to be a plus in both of those categories. It is clear that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is a huge fan of Williams so it will be interesting to see if he can mold him into an elite edge rusher.

Overall, I think Williams is a good player and should fit in nicely with the Cowboys’ defense. I just wish they would have chosen someone else and waited to secure him in Round 3. Dallas clearly trusts their board, though. They didn’t feel the need to trade or move around and knew what they wanted, as proven by their choice of Tyler Smith in Round 1. At the end of the day, Williams fills a need and has clear talent. Let’s hope his off-field issues are behind him and his passion for the game shine in Dallas.