With George Pickens, Kaiir Elam, and Brevyn Spann-Ford consuming headlines at OTAs and minicamp, other notable Dallas Cowboys players have flown under the radar.
Former second-round pick Sam Williams fits that description, though that was to be expected as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in training camp last year. Even though Williams only just returned to individual drills without a knee brace, his stock is trending up after head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised his physical transformation.
“Biceps look huge,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s doing great ... Again, no timetable, but you guys see him moving and the size and the speed and the athleticism. I run down there and check on those guys a lot just to see how they're doing."
Cowboys DE Sam Williams' new physique could lead to a breakout season
Williams' physique was among the biggest takeaways from offseason workouts. One photo in particular shared to the Cowboys' official website encapsulates just how much muscle mass Williams tacked on in the offseason.
The former Ole Miss star has natural pass-rush ability. Between his get-off, bend and hand work, it's not at all surprising he compiled 8.5 sacks, 45 pressures and a 73.8 PFF pass-rush grade in two seasons before his knee injury. That all came as a sub-package rusher.
Coming out of college, Williams was viewed as a player that needed to add strength to warrant consideration for a three-down role. That added muscle should help him be more competitive against the run, which is one of the biggest knocks on his game.
Williams will ultimately be judged on how he rushes the passer, but it is highly encouraging that he used the down time post-surgery to focus on his physique.
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For any fans worried if the new muscle will impact Williams' speed (his calling card as a pass rusher), that does not seem to be an issue. His top speed of 21.4 mph at minicamp clocked as the second-fastest on the team behind CeeDee Lamb's 21.9 mph.
Does a fast sprint time without pads and bigger biceps mean Williams will post 10 sacks this season? Of course not. The Cowboys may have one too many pass rushers for Williams to flirt with double digits.
However, Williams clearly knows what's on the line this season.
He's on the last year of his rookie deal. His future in Dallas hinges on his 2025 performance. It is encouraging he tacked on the right kind of weight and is ready to rock after the 2024 season was taken from him before it even started.