Williams joined the Cowboys’ defensive entrance in 2022 after getting drafted out of Ole Miss within the second spherical. His rookie yr noticed him buried on the depth chart behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler, but he nonetheless managed to tally 4 sacks whereas rotating in. He additionally confirmed his disruptive nature in different methods, ending solely behind Parsons with 10 tackles for loss.
In his sophomore marketing campaign, Williams labored his well past Fowler on the depth chart and even outproduced Lawrence, ending the season third on the workforce in sacks with 4.5. Professional Soccer Focus (subscription required) has been pleasant to Williams through the years, rating him because the 54th-best cross rusher of 119 in 2022 and the 51st out of 112 in 2023 — each years in restricted time. Final yr, PFF graded him with the Thirty seventh-best pass-rushing grade.
To date, well being had hardly been a problem for Williams. In two years of NFL play, Williams solely missed two video games, each in his rookie season and one in all them was the result of a car accident. He was arrested shortly earlier than the 2023 season however didn’t find yourself lacking any time because of the incident.
With two of his rivals for snaps, Armstrong and Fowler, now set to take beginning reps for the division-rival Commanders, Williams was in line for a bigger accountability and snap share in 2024. After working fifth and fourth on the depth chart in his first two seasons, Williams had as soon as once more labored his approach up and was set to run because the third defensive finish for the yr.
The workforce utilized a second-round choose on Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland in April to assist decrease the impression of Armstrong and Fowler’s departures, however now, Kneeland will doubtless be requested to step up into the position Williams was arrange for. Kneeland wasn’t an elite cross rusher for the Broncos, solely amassing 13.0 in 5 years; his seasons in school really a lot resembled the NFL manufacturing of Williams’ first two years, so maybe he’s well-equipped to step into that position.
Until Dallas turns to the veteran free-agent market, which they might should do, the Cowboys must depend on different gamers for that misplaced depth. Viliami Fehoko returns in 2024. A fourth-round rookie final yr, Fehoko did not make any recreation appearances earlier than being positioned on injured reserve with a knee harm in mid-November. He was activated in January however nonetheless didn’t see the sector. Tyrus Wheat is the opposite depth choice after showing in 12 video games for the Cowboys final yr as an undrafted rookie.
Whereas that is probably not sufficient for Dallas, they usually might have to hunt some free agent assist, one factor that’s sure is that Williams will be unable to contribute. That makes 2025 a vital yr for Williams as it is going to be the ultimate yr of his rookie contract and his remaining probability to indicate what he can carry to a protection that already rosters an All-Professional star in Parsons.
