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With the 56th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Mississippi edge rusher Sam Williams. Using their second-round pick on Williams shows just how highly the Cowboys franchise holds the player.
But Williams does have a checkered past. Back in July 2020, Williams was suspended after being charged with sexual battery. It was only two months later when the charges were dropped that he was reinstated.
This obviously deterred many from picking Williams earlier on. But Cowboys GM and owner Jerry Jones seemed ecstatic to have signed Williams via an excerpt from the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
“A pass rusher is a premium. A pressure player is a premium. First and foremost, he’s a terrific player and a potential terrific pro as a player. He has a lot of energy, a lot of personality. We think that is a real positive for his play as well as the people around him. He brings a lot to the table."
As for Williams' off-the-field controversies, Jones said that the side made a decision based on a thorough background check of his case:
"As you well know, it was aired out real good there at Ole Miss. Once they were satisfied where he was, then he came back and joined the team. We spent a lot of time because we had a keen interest in him. We spent a lot of time talking with a lot of people that know him real close... We are satisfied that we are good with this pick.”
Cowboys repeat history of making troubled picks
It's not the first time that America's team have had to deal with young players with some issues. The franchise's 2021 second-round pick, cornerback Kelvin Joseph, remains on the team despite being connected to a fatal drive-by shooting in March which is under police investigation.
Though Joseph is a lighter cornerback, Williams can put on a sprint himself. At the 2022 NFL Combine, Williams put up a 40-yard time of 4.46 seconds and a 36 inch vertical with a 6"3' frame and weighing over to 260 lbs.
