LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Mississippi Rebels edge Sam Williams was drafted 56th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft.
According to NFL.com, Williams was considered an elite junior college prospect after earning first-team JUCO All-American honors at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2018 (28.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks).
His pass rush skills translated to the SEC in 2019, as the Montgomery, Alabama, native led the Rebels with six sacks among his 37 total tackles (9.5 for loss). He also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in 12 appearances (eight starts). Williams was suspended from the team in July 2020 after he was charged with sexual battery.
He was reinstated to the team in September of that year after the charge was dropped. He started six of 10 games played in 2020, posting 39 tackles, eight for loss with a team-high four sacks on the year. Williams garnered 2021 third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-SEC honors by ranking fifth in the FBS with a school-record 12.5 sacks (among 57 total tackles, 16 for loss) and tying for 10th in the country with four forced fumbles in 13 starts