Connor Williams has competition at LG for Cowboys

There’s a running joke about the Philadelphia Eagles… ok, there are a lot of running jokes about the Philadelphia Eagles. This one is about how they swooped in and traded up in front of the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select TE Dallas Goedert. As the thinking went, a newly retired Jason Witten left the Cowboys in desperate need of a tight end and Dallas was primed to pick Goedert at No. 50.

The actual joke continues to be on those who believe this was the case. The Cowboys, as legend has it, were going to pick Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams even if Goedert was available. And thus, Williams’ story with the Cowboys began.

Williams was an All-American LT in his sophomore season with the Longhorns, while a knee injury limited him to just five games during his junior campaign. He would forgo his senior year to enter the draft a few weeks shy of his 21 birthday.

Draft Profile

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The Cowboys selected Williams with the plan to play him inside at guard in the NFL, much like what they had done successfully with Notre Dame’s Zack Martin and for a couple of seasons, right tackle La’el Collins. At the time head coach Jason Garrett said the team saw Williams as an “interior guy” due to his arm length being less than ideal for a tackle, at 33 inches.

From Dane Brugler’s 2018 Draft Guide:

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Texas, Williams earned the starting left tackle job as a true freshman and had an All-American season as a sophomore, putting himself on the NFL radar. However, he appeared to take a step back in 2017 followed by a knee injury that sidelined him for most of his junior season. Williams learned under three different offensive coordinators in three seasons in Austin, which helped diversify his skill-set. He is technique-focused and moves with above average athleticism, flashing the competitive finish and instincts required for the next level. While the intent is there, he isn’t an overpowering player and contact balance can be an issue at times. Overall, Williams will be a guard/center on some draft boards due to his lack of length, but his sophomore tape showed a capable NFL starter at tackle and NFL teams will need to trust the 2016 tape to draft him in round one.

GRADE: 1st-2nd Round (#38 overall)

Rookie Season

Williams earned his way into the starting lineup among Dallas’ talented offensive line as a rookie. He lined up next to Tyron Smith and took some lumps early in his first season. Williams’ lack of weight was considered one of his biggest issues working inside for the first time in his career. Tipping the scales at around 300 pounds got Williams pushed around on the interior, but he did manage to start the first eight games of the 2018 season.

The rookie hurt his knee against the Tennessee Titans in the middle of the season, which coupled with his ineffectiveness, led to Williams getting benched in favor of veteran Xavier Sua’Filo. Williams would return to the starting lineup later in the season and managed to play some right guard in a pinch as well during his rookie campaign.

For the year, Williams gave up five sacks, according to Pro Football Focus, along with 32 total pressures and six penalties called against him.

It was a learning experience for Williams, but the prevailing thought was he could be even better going forward after being in an off-season program and gaining the weight to hold up on the inside of the line. Williams put in the work, got his weight and strength up for his sophomore season and once again took the starting job at left guard.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones said Connor Williams has been able to add strength in the offseason that should help the second-year offensive lineman. He was asked if Williams could be a right tackle in the future with La’el Collins entering the… https://t.co/zxz8Sodx3N

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 27, 2019

Year 2 and Beyond

It was a solid second season for Williams, but he was limited to just 11 games due to knee surgery during the middle of the year, and eventually, suffering a torn ACL in Week 13 that would end his season.

He cut his sacks allowed down from 5 to 1with 80 less pass-blocking snaps (506 down to 426), but his penalties were steady at six and he still gave up 24 QB pressures.

Working next to Travis Frederick for the first time after playing with Joe Looney in 2018, the rushing game to Williams are improved dramatically. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 3.95 yards a carry between Williams and Looney, but that jumped to 4.75 yards a carry in 2019. For comparison, the run game between center and Zack Martin remained consistent with the change of centers, indicating Williams improvement played a major factor in the change.

Heading into his third season, nothing is guaranteed for Williams and his status as the starting LG is in jeopardy. Coming off a major injury is never easy and the Cowboys have a lot of options along the interior of their offensive line. The summer battles for the starting left guard and center positions should be some of the most intense on the team.

Williams’ main competition for the starting left guard spot will be with last year’s third round pick Connor McGovern, Looney and undrafted free agent Adam Redmond. As a two-year starter already, Williams may have the upper hand on the job, but with a new coaching staff, the slate will be wiped clean. If Williams wants to keep his starting gig at LG, he’ll have to fight off strong competition.

It might help Williams’ case that McGovern and Looney will also be competing for the starting center position, along with rookie Tyler Biadasz as well, so he may have the advantage of having more repetitions in training camp. However, there are also some rumblings that Williams could get a look at center as well.

Presently having flashbacks to 2018 Texas Pro Day when myself & @BryanBroaddus watched the scouts put Connor Williams through center drills.

just sayin'

— David Helman (@HelmanDC) March 23, 2020

It’s a big year for Williams, who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations with the Cowboys. He offers versatility and having experience at almost every position along the offensive line increases his chances of making an impact. Entering his third season, it’s a bit of a make or break season as the team will start to forecast whether he is a temporary or permanent fixture.

If he’s healthy and recovered from his injury, Williams is in the best position to be the starter at LG, but he’ll have to earn a starting role. If he can’t beat out the competition, he’ll be one of the best back-up offensive linemen in the league.

The 23-year old kid from Coppell, Texas has already had a roller coaster ride to begin his career. Williams may always be linked to Goedert and Cowboys fans are hoping he’ll take the next step to having the impact the TE in Philadelphia’s had.

The jury’s still out on Williams.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.

This is part of our Countdown to the Regular Season player profile countdown.

Ranking the 7 draft picks and 15 UDFAs

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