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Pros and cons of Dallas Cowboys picking Ole Miss football's Sam Williams in 2022 NFL Draft

Nick Suss, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
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Ole Miss football's Sam Williams was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft Friday.

The fifth-year senior starred at Lee High in Montgomery, Alabama, and took the junior college route before spending three years at Ole Miss. Williams was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football in 2021. Williams logged 12.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles and a touchdown to lead a revamped Rebels defense.

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Williams finished his Ole Miss career with 22.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss, 16 hurries and six forced fumbles.

The positives

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt, center, has his pass blocked by Mississippi defensive lineman Sam Williams, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt, center, has his pass blocked by Mississippi defensive lineman Sam Williams, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Production has never been a problem for Williams. He was a juco All-American in 2018, notching 17.5 sacks and 28.5 tackles-for-loss. His pass rush moves developed further at Ole Miss, culminating in first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors.

Williams is also a stellar athlete. He ran his 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the NFL Combine, an astounding feat for a 6-foot-4, 261-pound defender.

The concerns

Williams will need to improve against the run if he wants to be more than a third-down specialist. He played about every down for Ole Miss and improved as a run stopper but was never nearly as impactful on run plays as he was against the pass.

NFL teams may also be wary of some character concerns in Williams' past. In July 2020, Williams was charged with sexual battery and indefinitely suspended by Ole Miss. Williams was reinstated by Ole Miss on Sept. 8 after the charges were dropped.

Final thoughts

If production and explosiveness were the only factors worth exploring, Williams would probably have been a first-round pick. He finished college career with more sacks than Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux and more tackles for loss than Hutchinson and he ran faster and broad jumped better than both.

At the very least, Williams has the talent to be a force from Day 1 as a third-down pass rush specialist. If he can develop more as a run stopper, there's no reason Williams can't become one of the NFL's better edge defenders.

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Dallas Cowboys pick Ole Miss' Sam Williams in 2022 NFL Draft