Remarkable Quinnen Williams Stat is Fantastic News for Dallas Cowboys' Pass-Rush

A jaw-dropping stat for Cowboys defensive lineman Quinnen Williams gives an idea of just how big of an impact he's capable of making in the pass-rush.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys must improve in the pass-rush in 2026 if they want to rebound and end a two-year playoff drought.

While so much attention has rightly been on the edge rusher group, Dallas also needs significant contributions from their interior defenders, like Quinnen Williams, for example.

While Williams didn't pile up the sacks last season after tallying just 2.5, he did supply 51 total pressures, which ranked seventh among interior defenders. Sure, it's important to actually get the quarterback down, but simply disrupting them with pressure can be almost as effective.

Williams' impressive pressures total isn't just an outlier, either. He has routinely stacked a ton of them from year to year, and even in the face of double teams.

According to senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, the Cowboys defender has posted 73 pressures off double teams in the last five seasons, the most in the NFL.

The only other player with 70 or more in that span is Tennessee Titans star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.

Most QB pressures after double team over the last 5 seasons (since 2021), per @NextGenStats:

1. Quinnen Williams - 73
2. Jeffery Simmons - 70
3. Osa Odighizuwa - 66
4. Dexter Lawrence - 65
5. Jonathan Allen - 64
6. Jarran Reed - 59
7. Vita Vea - 58
7. Kobie Turner - 58
9.…

— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) May 29, 2026

Why this is great news for Cowboys' pass-rush

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Cowboys desperately need a jolt to their pass-rush after a season in which the team finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks.

Eating double teams is exactly what a team wants from its star interior defensive lineman. Williams' ability to do so means he's never out of a play, no matter how much attention is on him.

And seeing a high rate of double teams will only open things up for his teammates, especially Kenny Clark, who is also vital for Dallas' defense and, more specifically, its interior pass-rush.

As if his pass-rush prowess wasn't enough to be excited about, the former first-round pick is also an elite run defender. He tallied the top Pro Football Focus grade among interior defenders last season, which is especially noteworthy for a Cowboys defense that ranked as the 10th-worst against the run in 2025.

Some advanced numbers on new #Cowboys DT Quinnen Williams from @NextGenStats:

- 24 run stops (tied-1st in NFL among DTs)
- 14 run stuffs (tied-1st in NFL)
- 41% double team rate
- 20.9 stop EPA (5th in NFL among DTs with 250+ snaps)
- 16 QB pressures on 201 pass rushes pic.twitter.com/0HLBrch2ht

— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) November 4, 2025

Now you know why Williams makes the big bucks, and why Dallas is likely to extend him before he plays through a contract year in 2027.

How Williams beats double teams

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

There are a few reasons why Williams is able to thrive against double teams, one of which is obvious: he is a very powerful player.

But Williams is also a ridiculous athlete despite being north of 300 pounds. He is explosive off the snap and that only makes life more difficult for the guy trying to block him because Williams gets up in the offensive lineman's face so quickly.

Take, for example, Williams' numbers from the game against the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He bested Maxx Crosby both in average get-off time (1.08 second to 1.10 seconds) and time to pressure (2.45 seconds to 3.60 seconds), according to Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com.

He also earned a +2.6 pressure over expectation when double-teamed, which only further illustrates just how much of a game-wrecker Williams can be, even in the face of extra attention.

The Cowboys paid a steep price for Williams at the trade deadline last year, but it's not hard to see why they were willing to do so.

The bottom line is Williams can do things the vast majority of the players at his position simply can't do and if he makes the kind of impact we know he's capable of in his first full year with Dallas while helping the Cowboys get back to the playoffs, the investment will have been well worth it.