The New York Jets made shockwaves by trading All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. Mere hours after that blockbuster move, the Jets doubled down on their rebuild, sending All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a massive haul.
Could Williams help the Cowboys get their defense back on track, and are the Jets going about their rebuild the right way?
Breaking Down the Quinnen Williams Trade Details
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news of the trade on X on Tuesday. Jordan Schultz was the first to report that a 2026 second-round pick would be involved, while Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that defensive tackle Mazi Smith would be heading to the Jets in the trade.
“New York gets a 2026 first-round pick and more for Williams, who gets a fresh start at age 27,” Pelissero stated in his tweet, though it was later revealed that the pick would be Dallas’ 2027 first-round pick, as opposed to their 2026 selection.
The final haul sees the Cowboys acquire Williams, while the Jets acquire Smith, a 2026 second-round pick, and whichever will be higher between Dallas’ own 2027 first-round pick or Green Bay’s, which the Cowboys received in the Micah Parsons trade. The Cowboys will still have a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft either way, as well as both of their first-round picks in 2026.
Dallas Cowboys Analysis
Make no mistake about it: the Cowboys’ defense should be significantly better with Williams along their defensive line. Currently grading tenth in the NFL in DTi at 82.7, the four-time Pro Bowler has consistently been one of the best defensive tackles in the league.
Dallas absolutely needed to fix their defense, as they’ve allowed the second-most points in the NFL, and they currently trail only the Cincinnati Bengals with the worst DEFi grade in the league. Since trading Parsons, their pass rush in particular has struggled.
For the 2025 NFL season, swapping Smith out for Williams is a massive improvement for the Cowboys. He and Kenny Clark should form an intriguing duo along the interior of their defensive line. The question comes with the hefty price: trading both a future first-round pick and a second-round pick is a massive risk.
As much as the additions of Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson should help the Cowboys, their defense still isn’t a perfect unit by any means yet. They’re being awfully aggressive for a team that’s 3-5-1 and currently sits in 11th place in the NFC.
Cowboys Grade: B-
New York Jets Analysis
The Jets have used the 2025 NFL trade deadline to aggressively stock up on draft capital in a way that has rarely been seen before, if at all. After trading two of their top defenders, they’re on track to have two first-round picks in 2026, two second-round picks in 2026, as well as a whopping three first-round picks in 2027.
It’s an aggressive but smart call by the Jets, who aren’t going to be competing anyway with a 1-7 record going into the deadline. The right call is to load up on premier draft picks to give themselves as many swings at the plate as possible to acquire young talent, which should help them build a more sustainable roster a few years from now.
With how bad the Jets have been this season, they’re in firm contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even if they don’t get the first pick, they’ll likely pick high enough to select one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s class. The massive surplus of draft capital should allow New York to surround that passer with plenty of talent, if they use those picks wisely.
Going into the trade deadline, the Jets really had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s going to be hard for them to be much worse than their 1-7 record indicates, even after trading away their top two defenders. Now, there’s plenty of light at the end of their tunnel.
Jets Grade: A+