Marist Liufau vs Sam Williams: Who Makes the Cowboys' 53?

Marist Liufau vs Sam Williams might come down to one simple question for the Dallas Cowboys.

Do they want a guy who has had more opportunities as a pass rusher with little results or a guy who might give them more in multiple ways? Sam Williams has a bigger pass rushing resume, while Marist Liufau has the versatility. The problem is, they haven’t been given the same chances.

According to PFF, Sam Williams rushed the passer 270 times last season and had 24 pressures for an 8.9% pressure rate. Then we have Liufau with 19 pass-rush snaps in 2025.

The limited snaps didn’t slow him down as he created six pressures and one sack, which came out to a 31.6% pressure rate.

I’m not suddenly thinking Liufau is a pass rusher who can consistently generate pressure 31% of the time. The sample is too small, and some of those opportunities came with him blitzing from linebacker instead of lining up across from an offensive tackle and winning snap after snap.

Sam Williams stands on the sideline in a white Dallas Cowboys uniform.

Opportunity is the Key

Sam Williams had more than 14 times as many pass-rush snaps as Marist Liufau last season. So when people say Williams is clearly the better pass rusher, you better take it with a grain of salt.

Saying he’s more proven may be the better road to take. I think that would be fair, but better is a long shot.

Dallas has seen hundreds of pass-rushes from Sam Williams since drafting him in 2022. He never really flashed early in his career after getting 8.5 sacks over his first two seasons. Then Williams was injured only to come back and contribute one sack on 270 snaps.

Marist Liufau hasn’t had anything close to that kind of runway from the team. His rookie season was the best when he was blitzed 43 times and finished with 1.5 sacks, but last season that dropped to 11 blitzes.

Now with Christian Parker moving Liufau to outside linebacker in the new 3-4, getting after the quarterback could finally be one of his jobs.

I want to see it, but I don’t think 19 snaps is enough.

Marist Liufau battles a Los Angeles Rams blocker during game action for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bottom of the 53 Needs Versatility

I know neither of these players will be a starter. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Von Miller, and Malachi Lawrence have made that room crowded enough. I would throw James Houston into that mix too.

That means the last guy can’t just hang around as a pass rush specialist. We all know the bottom of the roster guy better have other skill sets, and Marist Liufau does.

We have watched him play inside linebacker, blitz from different spots, and play in space. But most importantly, he has handled a heavy special teams workload.

I know Williams has some value there too. He blocked a punt and a field goal just last season, so we have to count those towards his value.

If Dallas thinks he can create even average pressure off the edge, the other skills he has developed give Christian Parker a player with several ways to be deployed.

We are talking about the bottom of the roster and versatility isn’t just nice down there. That’s kinda the whole point.

Marist Liufau points toward the offense while lined up for the Dallas Cowboys defense.

I Would Keep Marist Liufau

The sack totals and pressure rate aren’t impressive enough on Sam Williams’ end to make me change my mind. The only reason I think he has the better stats in that area is solely more opportunities.

Marist Liufau had 19 pass-rush snaps and came away with an almost 32% pressure rate, but with more snaps we could see it drop to 10 or 11%. If that happens, now you’ve got a guy who can rush the passer, help on special teams, and give insurance at linebacker.

Sam Williams has had his chance to prove himself and always comes up short. If I had to choose between these two, Marist Liufau is my guy.