The Dallas Cowboys are entering their first season under Brian Schottenheimer and there are a lot of familiar faces that are coming along for the ride. The pass rush is one area that’s virtually the same as Micah Parsons will eventually sign a massive contract and Dallas brought back edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. after a successful year with the Washington Commanders.
While Cowboys fans can pick some members of the defensive line in a lineup, there’s also a new face that is getting some run. Second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku has already made a positive impression on the new coaching staff and it could make another pass rusher expendable as OTA workouts come to a close.
Cowboys Edge Rusher Sam Williams Could Be on the Way Out of Dallas
The Cowboys selected Sam Williams in the second round of the 2022 draft and he started his career off with two strong seasons. After collecting 8.5 sacks as a situational pass rusher in his first two years in the NFL, Bennett suffered a knee injury at the beginning of training camp, tearing his ACL, his MCL and wiping out the entire 2024 season.
Williams was ready for a comeback and to line up alongside Parsons and Fowler this season. But the Cowboys threw a wrench into those plans by selecting Ezeiruaku in the draft. While Williams hasn’t done anything to lose his job outside of suffering an injury, Ezeiruaku has been drawing superlatives from Schottenheimer throughout the offseason program.
“He’s doing great. He’s doing really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really great,” Schottenheimer said. “...You can’t watch the guy and not get excited watching them do the things that we’re doing out there on the grass, the things that we saw coming out of Boston College. And then the work ethic is elite.”
Rookies make a positive impression on coaches all the time. But rarely do they use the word “really” eight times to get their point across. Even if Parsons went on to say there are “no egos in the room,” it’s hard to wonder where Bennett could fit into the picture.
Flower and Parsons will be in a starting role while Ezeiruaku and free agent pickup Payton Turner are lined up behind them. While Williams is in the next wave, it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys decide to keep a fifth edge rusher or decide to carry some extra bodies on the interior of the offensive line.
Entering the final year of a contract, the Cowboys may be preparing for life after Williams. It could lead to an important camp that could determine how long he stays in Dallas.