Sam Williams NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys' EDGE

HEIGHT: 6'3 5/8"

WEIGHT: 261

HAND: 9 7/8"

ARM: 33 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'8 1/4"

40-YARD DASH: 4.46

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 10'3"

POSITIVES

— Thick build grants him some flexibility to play from tight alignments.

— Good explosiveness off the snap.

— Above-average length. Can keep OL out of his frame and extend his arms with some power.

— Nimble feet. Can redirect with ease and play in space better than his frame suggests.

— Flashes powerful hands and has a good outside-to-inside stab.

— Powerful bull rush and inside moves. Plays with good leg drive.

— Good vision for causing terror in the run game. Finds the backfield.

NEGATIVES

— Poor bend on the outside. Rarely tried to turn the corner to begin with and had little success when he did.

— Limited pass-rushing approach right now. Shows little comfort working the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle.

— Often has late hands. Lets OL get into his frame first despite his length.

— Anchor versus the run can get dicey. Susceptible to getting blown off his spot or put on the ground.

2021 STATISTICS

13 G, 57 TOT, 15 TFL, 12.5 SK, 4 FF, 1 FR

NOTES

— Arrested on a felony sexual battery charge in July 2020.

— 4-star JUCO prospect in 2019.

— Three-year contributor, one-and-a-half year starter.

OVERALL

Sam Williams is a powerful, athletic defensive end who needs to find a way to win around the edge to round out his skill set.

At 6'4" and 265 pounds, Williams sports a thick build that allowed him to flip-flop between edge alignments and 3- and 5-tech alignments. Though inconsistent, he flashes great explosion off the line of scrimmage, which gives him great momentum when crashing into offensive tackles as a bull-rusher or on inside moves.

Williams also shows heavy hands and good length for the position, even if he's still working on being craftier with his hand usage. He shows much better fluidity in space than his frame suggests, which allows him to work well as a stunt and twist piece.

In the run game, Williams' anchor is up and down. He has the raw strength to hold the point, but his feet are sometimes slow to follow his body, and he allows himself to get knocked off balance. With how well Williams comes off the ball, though, he still has an avenue to making a statement in the run game from time to time.

Most of Williams' issues boil down to his outside pass-rushing abilities and hand technique. His pass-rushing approach is stale. He often resorts to simple bull-rushes or an outside-to-inside sidestep. Williams also shows little ability to turn the corner as a pass-rusher. He seldom tried to do so, which could be blamed on alignment at times, and he showed poor flexibility and balance when trying to win around the edge.

Williams' explosive potential is worth getting excited about. He has plenty of juice in his legs and offers more fluidity than you might expect at a glance. Still, Williams' volatility in the run game is a risky proposition, and his pass-rushing repertoire is clearly limited right now. Williams would be best as a heavy outside linebacker on a defense that likes to move its pieces around up front often to give him chances to win inside.

GRADE: 7.0 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 109

POSITION RANK: EDGE15

PRO COMPARISON: Pernell McPhee

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen