It’s always tough when a young player appears ready to break out and then gets hurt.
That’s what happened to Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Sam Williams last season.
He tore his ACL about a year ago and had to miss all of the 2024 campaign.
Now, he’s back as part of a talented defensive line group led by Micah Parsons. And Williams’ return is one of the most key in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Here’s how PFF lays it out:
Williams played just over 300 snaps in each of his first two seasons and was expected to take on a larger role in 2024 after the departures of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. But a torn ACL suffered during July training camp ended his season before it began.
The Cowboys’ defensive line took another hit when DeMarcus Lawrence was lost for the season with a foot injury in Week 4. Depth became a major issue for Dallas, but the team has worked to address it heading into 2025.
Williams now joins All-Pro Micah Parsons, second-round picks Marshawn Kneeland (2024) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (2025), and the returning Fowler Jr. as part of a revamped edge group. Williams has already proven he can produce at the NFL level, earning a 71.0 or higher pass-rush grade in each of his first two seasons. At just 26 years old, he has every reason to believe in a bounce-back campaign this year.
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In his first two seasons, Williams had 8.5 total sacks.
If he can reach his potential, he could approach that number in a single year.
The crowded defensive line might make that tough this season, but with a lot of NFL career in front of him, Dallas and Williams are both hoping his best football is still to come.
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