Sam Williams led the Cowboys defensive line in snaps for the second preseason game in a row.
And the rookie is making the most of those chances. The Ole Miss product is showing not only why the Cowboys made him a second-round draft pick back in April, but also why he belongs in Dan Quinn’s heavy rotation at defensive end come September.
Williams didn’t make a huge dent in Saturday’s box score, assisting on just two tackles on the night. But he certainly made his presence known, consistently blowing up opposing linemen and breathing down the quarterback’s neck on seemingly every other play.
One of those pressures forced a rushed throw that was picked off by safety Israel Mukuamu.
Cowboys takeaways are back: safety Israel Mukuamu with the INT vs. Chargers
(@nfl) pic.twitter.com/pi8k46YVMJ
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 21, 2022
Sooner or later, Williams knows, the highlight will be his. Just 77 game snaps into his pro career, it’s already getting easier.
“It is, it is,” he told reporters after Saturday’s 32-18 win over the Chargers. “When I watch the film, I’ll be like, ‘Dang, I should have had this. Dang, I should have had that.’ But you can’t reverse time; I’m just trying to get better and better every day.”
So far, it seems to be working.
The calling card on the 6-foot-4-inch Williams early in camp was his insane speed. But studying and fine-tuning his technique every day- with guys like DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons as his mentors- has helped him add to his rapidly growing toolbox.
A three-play sequence of Cowboys rookie DE Sam Williams at camp. Good example of how motor shows up in practice. “I’m learning how to use my pass-rush moves to set up the pass rush.” Went speed-to-power and then speed. On third, outside hand created leverage for rip, deflection. pic.twitter.com/KnQQEddraG
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 9, 2022
In his 33 snaps against Denver, Williams made it a point to try out a variety of moves. That impressed NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.
By preseason Week 2, he was putting his speed, power, and technique together. Baldinger sees room for improvement in the 23-year-old, but also sees tantalizing possibilities once he’s paired up with other game-wreckers in the Cowboys defensive unit.
“Imagine if Micah is coming from the other side, and Sam Williams has this takeoff on this left tackle,” the former Cowboys lineman said via Twitter. “If you can do this and flush the quarterback, Micah, Odighizuwa, Fowler… somebody’s going to clean up.”
.@dallascowboys it’s going to be fun to watch the growth and improvement of Sam Williams. Be patient b/c he needs to learn a lot but he has a little somethin somethin to his game. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/g0TabXO5n5
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 21, 2022
“That right there will open some eyes in that film room,” Baldinger continued.
The youngster has Sunday speed and strength for days. But he’s already figured out that’s not enough at this level.
It’s the mental part of the game- the strategic chess match of how to prepare for an opponent all week long- that so often determines how effective that speed and strength will be.
And that’s what Williams is soaking up as camp comes to a close and the regular season looms.
“In college, it was easier to a know a tendency, but now, in the NFL, they change so much based on who they’re going against,” he explained. “They might pass-set different for me than they would for a bigger guy or a slower guy. I try to find tendencies, I try to find the weakness, but it’s hard because you’re going against somebody that watches film, too.”
Increasingly, it looks like Cowboys opponents will find themselves having to watch plenty of film on Sam Williams.
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