Taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams had a productive rookie season.
He managed 15 games, playing 273 defensive snaps, and grabbed himself four sacks, 10 tackles for loss (joint second-highest for the team), nine quarterback hits, and three fumble recoveries. ... All of that while only playing 27 percent of the defensive snaps in games he featured.
Now, as we approach his second training camp, could Williams be set for a breakout season in Dallas? ESPN's Adam Rank thinks so.
"It's hard to make a big impact when you're stuck behind Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence," Rank writes. "But that's what Williams did during his rookie season. Williams had four sacks despite playing less than a third of the defensive snaps for the Cowboys. They have to find more ways to get him on the field."
Getting Williams onto the field more is a tricky ask for coordinator Dan Quinn, who has a roster that is oozing talent at defensive end. Parsons, Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., and Chauncey Golston all played their part last season.
Williams has already stated that he has his sights set on getting 10 sacks in his second season, something in Dallas that since 2019, only Micah (13.0 and 13.5 sacks) and Robert Quinn (11.5 in 2019) have managed.
That isn't to say Williams can't, but he needs to get on the field more, and the log jam at defensive end might see him have limited chances to show flashes of his ability.
Williams' breakout game came against the Detroit Lions last season and saw him grab two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the 24-6 win.
With another training camp set to be under his belt and head coach Mike McCarthy stating that Williams could make the second-year leap, he could very easily be the Cowboys' next breakout star. If he can get to his sack total of 10 - a lofty goal to be sure - then he might not just be a Dallas breakout star but a league-wide one as well.
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