Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys draft Texas tackle Connor Williams in 2nd round

Published Apr. 27, 2018 11:37 p.m. ET

FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys took University of Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night amid questions over how they might fill a hole at tight end if veteran Jason Witten retires to start a career on broadcasting.

The Cowboys picked Williams with the No. 50 overall selection -- one pick after NFC East rival Philadelphia traded up with Indianapolis to select South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert. Dallas could be in the market for a tight end because Witten, the franchise's all-time receiving leader after 15 seasons, may retire to join ESPN as its lead analyst for "Monday Night Football."

A first-team All-America tackle as a sophomore, Williams declared for the draft after his junior season with the Longhorns. He started only five games last season because of a left knee injury, and missed the bowl game to prepare for the draft. Williams is the first Texas offensive lineman drafted in 10 years.

When he declared for the draft in December, he wrote an essay thanking the bullies who tormented him when he was a child because he was overweight and had a speech impediment. Overcoming that torment, he said, helped him reach his level of success in football.

Some teams projected the 6-foot-5, 296-pound Williams as a guard, but the Cowboys could keep him at tackle.

Dallas could use versatility on an offensive line that struggled at times with injuries and ineffectiveness. Williams is the first offensive lineman they've taken as high as second since 2014, when guard Zack Martin was their third first-round O-lineman in four years.

Williams was at the draft in nearby Arlington, just south of his home in Coppell.