The New York Jets continue to unload talent and build up draft capital ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
The Jets on Tuesday traded defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are giving up a second-round pick in 2026 and their first-round pick in 2027 for the defensive lineman.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added that first-round pick is the Cowboys’ selection, not one they acquired in the Micah Parsons trade from Green Bay.
This is the blockbuster deal Cowboys fans had hoped for in order to address their struggling defense. Williams is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive tackles and should provide a massive boost to Dallas’ defensive line.
Williams had expressed a desire to be traded, according to Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, and had told those close to him that he was “miserable” with the Jets. He had expressed his disappointment via social media at the prospect of another rebuilding year last offseason.
A former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, Williams is still just 27. He had 12 sacks in 2022, but has not matched those numbers since, in part because the Jets have not had much of a pass rush outside of him.
The Jets are selling off many of their best pieces, but are loading up on first-round picks as a result. The Williams trade means they have three of them in 2027, and depending on how the Cowboys look next season, the pick they are acquiring here could wind up being a fairly high one.
