Quinnen Williams Traded to Cowboys, Jets Get 1st-Round NFL Draft Pick, More

The Dallas Cowboys acquired a pair of first-round picks from the Green Bay Packers in the stunning Micah Parsons trade before the season. Now, they are sending a first-rounder back out the door.

The Cowboys acquired superstar defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets for a package that includes a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

Williams discussed the move on social media Tuesday night:

Both the Cowboys and Jets have been quite busy on Tuesday.

Alongside adding Williams, the 3-5-1 Cowboys also acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick. Add in the acquisition of defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Parsons trade, and it's clear the Cowboys have specifically identified the spine of their defense as lacking.

The results on the field have bared that out—the team ranks 29th in run defense, giving up a whopping 143 yards per game on the ground.

Granted, the team still has a middling pash rush and the secondary has been atrocious, so the defensive rebuild is far from complete. But the three-time Pro Bowler's ability to collapse the pocket from the interior—Williams has 40 sacks in his seven seasons—should help improve the pass defense as well.

The Cowboys need all the help they can get in that regard—they rank 30th in pass defense (254.4 YPG) and have given up a whopping 22 passing touchdowns. Only the Bengals (23) have allowed more.

As for the Jets, the team is tearing things down and starting over. Alongside the Williams deal, they also received a pair of first-round picks and wideout Adonai Mitchell from the Indianapolis Colts for star cornerback Sauce Gardner.

The Jets once had an incredibly promising defense, highlighted by Williams and Gardner. Now, it's clear the team is going in an entirely different direction under the first-year duo of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. A 1-7 start to the 2025 season apparently made it clear to both that a fire sale was required, and New York will have ample draft capital in the next two years to rebuild the roster.