Meeting Cowboys No. 56 pick Sam Williams: Strengths, Weaknesses, Fit
With the 56th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Ole Miss pass rusher Sam Williams. Williams was a name connected to the Cowboys a lot during the draft process, so it was a bit of an unsurprising choice.
This was a pick expected to happen, it was just a matter of when. The media seemed to evaluate Williams to be selected in the third round, but the Cowboys’ draft room clearly viewed him higher than that. It’s been a known fact that Jerry specifically has been a big fan of the Ole Miss star throughout the process.
The #Cowboys interest in #OleMiss DE Sam Williams is very real.
— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) March 23, 2022
He met with owner Jerry Jones. Says Jones told him they could use him as another Micah Parsons.
Williams said he’d “love to be a Cowboy”
In this article, I will highlight an overview of who Williams is as a prospect. I will then go over his strengths, weaknesses, and his fit with the Cowboys. Let’s go!
Meeting the Dallas Cowboys’ 56th overall draft pick: Ole Miss DE Sam Williams
Sam Williams was unranked coming out of Robert E. Lee high school and spent his first two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he tore up competition his sophomore season. At NMCC, he was named a first-team All-American, Region 23 defensive player of the year, and racked up 75 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
After his stout sophomore campaign, he received a ton of interest as a four-star transfer. Williams had offers from schools like Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, and Florida State, before signing with Ole Miss. In his first season with the Rebels, he recorded 9.5 TFL, six sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception.
As a senior in 2020, the Ole Miss star was arrested for a sexual battery charge, but it was eventually dropped. He struggled as a linebacker for that season, managing just eight tackles for loss and four sacks. He would use his extra Covid year of eligibility to return for a final season.
In his 2021 season, the Alabama native rose to stardom. In 13 games, he recorded 15 TFLs, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. He finished fifth in the country in sacks and ninth in forced fumbles. In the SEC, the Ole Miss product ranked first in forced fumbles and second in TFL and sacks.
At the NFL Combine, the stud defensive end prospect shined. He had the second-fastest 40-time at 4.46, the seventh farthest broad jump (10’3″), and a 32.5″ vertical.