The Dallas Cowboys decided to add more firepower on the edge in the 2022 NFL Draft and took Sam Williams out of Ole Miss in the second round. Despite having several guys in front of him, Williams ended up finding a role on the Cowboys' defense and the trust of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in big moments. 

As his second NFL campaign sets to begin, Williams has dedicated himself to putting in the work to fine-tune some things to take his game to the next level and inch his way up the depth chart.

Cowboys defensive line coach, Aden Durde, has been a key figure in the turnaround of the defense over the last few years. He's recognized the growth in Williams from a raw but talented rookie to someone who is geared toward perfecting his craft. 

You can see that he's learned how to develop himself, and that's not to say that we don't develop them, but the biggest jump for Sam is he's becoming a true professional," said Durde, via the team's website. "I see the work that he puts in and the structure that he's put in off of the field. He comes in and you see his flexibility has changed, his coordination has changed, his stance is better. The things he's needed to work on, he's gone out and worked on and improved.

Williams played out of position quite a bit in college as he battled against guards and tackles due to playing a ton of 4i technique. It didn’t stop him from setting the single-season sack record at Ole Miss with 12.5 in 2021 and he was named a first-team All-ACC performer and a third-team All-American. 

It translated well to the NFL as Williams logged 22 tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, 22 pressures, 11 hurries, and four sacks as a rookie. As his second NFL campaign sets to begin, Williams has set a pretty big goal for where he wants his production to be during the upcoming season.

"I need 10 sacks," Williams said. "Ten sacks will open up a lot of opportunities for me. Obviously, the team goal is to win a championship, but my personal goal and what I'm working towards is getting better with my hands, and I need 10 sacks."

Handwork is extremely important for a pass rusher because it keeps much bigger and stronger offensive linemen from controlling them at the line of scrimmage and taking them out of a play. Williams is getting a lot of help in that regard from a teammate, Micah Parsons. 

The two-time All-Pro is looking to take his game to the next level by implementing a new training method. However, he hasn't let that stop him from mentoring Williams.

“He’s like, ‘I want 10 sacks. I want to be up there with you.’ I’m like, ‘Then get 10 sacks. I’m not stopping you from getting 10 sacks. The only person that can is you.’ said Parsons. So I’m just teaching him to get into that mindset. And just with his hands like just keeping them in front of him, not dropping your hands."

Williams has the drive, the skill set, and the guidance to be a major contributor to the Cowboys' defense in 2023.

Feature image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports