When you have a guy like Micah Parsons, the defensive line should be a strength for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. That’s true even with a new defensive coordinator. But the Cowboys may have taken a depth hit when 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams exited the practice field on a cart.
Jon Machota of The Athletic reported the injury that occurred Sunday.
Williams had a nice start to his NFL career after being drafted with the No. 56 overall pick. He totaled four sacks, 22 tackles and a forced fumble in 15 games as a rookie. He finished fifth in the AP defensive rookie of the year voting.
Last year, appearing in all 17 games, Williams added 4.5 sacks and 26 tackles. Also, he received credit for a safety.
Injury to Cowboys DE Sam Williams looked tough
Jane Slater of the NFL Network reported that Williams went down in a lot of pain after coming off a block during a drill. After staying on the ground for several minutes, teammates helped him onto a cart. Obviously Williams will have to be evaluated, but in general terms a cart ride is often reserved for very significant injuries.
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, Williams didn't put weight on his left leg on his way to the cart. It could be a tough blow for Williams and the Cowboys. Williams is considered an important depth piece for a defensive line unit that lost Dorance Armstrong in free agency.
From many Cowboys’ observers, Williams has been tabbed as a breakout player in 2024. If he misses a significant portion of the season, rookie Marshawn Kneeland could be thrust into a prime-time role.
This year's No. 56 overall pick, Kneeland hasn’t been shy about promoting his talents. He told si.com he admires Dallas star DeMarcus Lawrence, but …
“I want to learn from him to see how I can beat him out in competition,” Kneeland said.
What was the status of Cowboys' DL before injury?
Entering the 2024 season, Pro Football Focus ranked Dallas’ defensive line at No. 6 in the NFL. Of course, Parsons is a big part of that status.
“An elite player will take you quite far on the defensive line, and the Cowboys are this high thanks to Micah Parsons, who racked up 103 quarterback pressures in the regular season a year ago,” PFF wrote. “Demarcus Lawrence also earned a 90.0-plus PFF grade, thanks in large part to his run defense. But Dallas is lacking the depth of the teams above them and, in particular, needs to see growth from second-year nose tackle Mazi Smith.”
Also, the Cowboys plan to play Parsons more as an off-ball linebacker this season under new DC Mike Zimmer. It will depend on matchups, but Parsons slimmed down a few pounds for the anticpated move.
Parsons told The Athletic he plans to be all over the field.
“At the end of the day, they got to find me,” Parsons said.
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