If the Dallas Cowboys are going to repair a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in 2025, the solution may not arrive via blockbuster headlines.

It may instead come from internal growth — specifically from former second-round pick Sam Williams.

Williams, the 6-foot-4, 261-pound edge defender selected No. 56 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, has quietly reemerged as one of the most intriguing in-house bounce-back candidates on Dallas’ roster.
According to Pro Football Focus, he was the NFL’s most improved edge rusher over the second half of the 2025 season.

That distinction is not trivial.
It signals a measurable shift in performance that could materially impact the Cowboys’ 2026 outlook.

Early in 2025, Williams struggled significantly.
Through the first nine weeks, he earned a 39.9 PFF grade, ranking 117th out of 118 qualifying edge defenders.

By midseason, his trajectory appeared concerning.
However, beginning in Week 10, something changed.

From that point forward, Williams posted an 80.6 PFF grade, ranking 11th among edge defenders over that stretch.
That improvement represented one of the sharpest midseason turnarounds at the position league-wide.

While raw pressure totals remained modest — nine pressures in eight games — the underlying impact metrics told a deeper story.
He recorded 10 defensive stops and forced a fumble, signaling increased efficiency in high-leverage situations.

Equally notable was his run defense.
Williams earned a 74.7 PFF run-defense grade during the second half, ranking 13th at the position.

For a defense that finished 30th overall and posted a 7-9-1 record, those incremental improvements matter.
Dallas missed the postseason for a second consecutive year, underscoring systemic issues on that side of the ball.

If the Cowboys are to rebound, they will require internal contributors to outperform contract value.
Williams fits that profile precisely.

According to Spotrac projections, he could command a one-year deal in the $2.3 million range.
That represents relatively low financial risk for a player demonstrating upward momentum.

Williams’ development arc has not been linear.
He recorded 8.5 sacks across his first two seasons, flashing the athleticism that made him a high-upside draft selection.

However, his trajectory stalled abruptly in 2024.
A season-ending ACL tear accompanied by a partial MCL injury during training camp forced him to miss the entire year.

Rehabilitation from major knee injuries can derail defensive linemen, particularly those reliant on explosiveness.
Williams’ 2025 campaign effectively became a return-to-form evaluation year.

The early struggles likely reflected timing adjustments and conditioning recovery.
By midseason, his athleticism began to reappear.

The Athletic’s Jon Machota previously projected Williams as a breakout candidate entering 2025.
In hindsight, that forecast may have been delayed rather than misguided.

Williams’ physical profile remains elite for the position.
At the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, he ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 261 pounds and posted a 36-inch vertical jump.

That combination of size and burst translates to rare edge speed when fully healthy.
When synchronized with technical refinement, it can produce disruptive output.

His collegiate résumé at Ole Miss Rebels underscores that upside.
In 2021, he recorded 57 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles, setting a single-season program sack record.

The path to the NFL, however, was complicated.
Williams faced disciplinary issues in high school and legal scrutiny during his college career.

While charges were ultimately dropped in one instance, those episodes clouded his draft evaluation process.
Dallas nevertheless invested second-round capital, betting on both athletic ceiling and personal growth.

Four years into his professional career, the evaluation now centers purely on football impact.
The second-half surge in 2025 offers tangible evidence that Williams may be turning a developmental corner.

The Cowboys’ defensive future could hinge on players like him exceeding baseline expectations.
While speculation occasionally links Dallas to high-profile edge rushers such as Maxx Crosby, internal improvement may prove more sustainable.

If Williams can translate late-season efficiency into full-season consistency, he could stabilize the edge rotation.
That would reduce dependency on external acquisitions.

Defensive turnarounds often emerge from layered growth rather than singular acquisitions.
Williams’ age, athletic profile, and late-season grading trajectory align with that blueprint.

The Cowboys’ 2026 defensive ceiling will depend on multiple factors.
But one of the clearest variables is whether Sam Williams’ second-half performance was a temporary spike or the beginning of a true breakout phase.

If it is the latter, Dallas may have quietly rediscovered a foundational piece within its own roster