Dallas Cowboys Icon Troy Aikman Sadly Kicks The Bucket @57 In 2024, we’ll see if the Cowboys can ultimately succeed and whether Williams plays a big role in that.
Given the existence of Micah Parsons, one might assume that the Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t be concerned about their pass rush, but going into 2024, it might be a bit of a problem.
The Cowboys’ defense suffered a significant blow when they lost edge rusher Dorance Armstrong Jr. to free agency.
Although Armstrong may not be well-known, he has amassed 21 sacks for Dallas over the last three seasons, including 7.5 in 2023.
The Cowboys totaled 46 sacks last season, so losing Armstrong will be felt greatly, especially since the team did not sign a replacement in free agency.
Marshawn Kneeland of Western Michigan was chosen by Dallas in the second round of the NFL Draft late last month. Despite his promise, Kneeland only recorded 12.5 sacks in his four years as a college player.
That implies that in 2024, another player on the Cowboys’ roster could need to step up, and Sam Williams might be the obvious choice, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dallas chose Williams in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he is undoubtedly not well-known. Williams attended the University of Mississippi.
During his first campaign, he participated in 14 games and recorded 22 tackles, 4 sacks, a forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. After that, he played in every game as a sophomore and ended with 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Although those aren’t particularly high numbers, it’s important to remember that Williams was performing all of this work in a very limited capacity.
Williams will most likely see more playing time in the upcoming season now that Armstrong is gone, which might position him for a breakthrough year in 2024.
The 25-year-old, who ranked 36th among all NFL edge defenders in 2023, produced pressure on 14.1 percent of pass plays when he was on the field, according to Pro Football Focus.
