The Dallas Cowboys really need their defensive line to shine in 2025, and the return of this draft pick could be key in that.
However, there is also another wrinkle here. The Cowboys have had quite the offseason, which has included letting Mike McCarthy go in favor of Brian Schottenheimer and also trading for George Pickens. Dak Prescott is slated to come back from his hamstring injury, but the running back room remains a mystery.
It's been a typical whirlwind offseason for Dallas, but they are not the only NFL team dealing with their own second-round pick being unsigned, as 30 of the 32 second-rounders from the 2025 NFL Draft are not signed. Donovan Ezeiruaku was the Cowboys' second-round pick, and with him not yet having a deal and training camp being right around the corner, one former draft pick could get more buzz?
Sam Williams could come back in a huge way for the Cowboys in 2025
Sam Williams was another second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys back in the 2022 NFL Draft but he missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL, which he suffered last summer around this time. Williams played in 32 regular season games for Dallas in 2022 and 2023, racking up 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and a 73.8 PFF pass-rush grade.
He did show immediate pass-rush production as a rookie, and with it not being clear when Donovan Ezeiruaku will sign, Williams could have that massive opportunity to estblish himself on the Cowboys for 2025 and beyond.
It's not an ideal situation for the 30 unsigned second-round picks, but that's been the main story of the offseason surrounding the post-draft events. The broader story here, though, is that the Cowboys defensive line has to figure things out. They have a plethora of options behind Micah Parsons, but it remains to be seen how the rotation will unfold.
If Dallas hopes to return to the playoffs and get off to a great start in the Brian Schottenheimer era, not only will they need Sam Williams to return to action, but they'll need to close the rookie deal with Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Williams, though, stands to be the biggest beneficiary if the team doesn't sign Ezeiruaku before camp gets underway next week.