• The Cowboys try to fix their run defense: Williams’ 90.8 PFF run-defense grade is the best among all interior defenders.

• The Jets signal their full rebuild: New York now has more draft ammunition than virtually any team in the next two years.

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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

After years of futility, the Jets have finally decided to part ways with great young players who were seemingly untouchable.

Following a shocking maneuver to send corner Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, New York has reportedly dealt standout interior defender Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round selection and defensive lineman Mazi Smith.

Dallas continues its commitment to improving its run defense

When the Cowboys shipped away Micah Parsons to the Packers in August, owner Jerry Jones framed the transaction as a means to helping the team’s run defense in Matt Eberflus’ first season. So far, the results have been porous. Through nine games, Dallas ranks 29^th in rushing EPA per play allowed, 32^nd in rushing success rate and 28^th in explosive run rate given up.

That’s where Williams comes squarely into play. His 90.8 PFF run-defense grade is the best by any player at his position, not to mention the third-highest by any defender with 350 or more snaps. The 27-year-old also ranks in the 99^th percentile in run stop rate (15.1%) this season.

Although Dallas’ defense has languished at virtually every level, its run play has been particularly bad along the interior of its defensive line. The Cowboys’ 45.7 PFF run-defense grade at that position is 28^th, as both Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa have registered grades below 56.0 in that realm.

In addition to newcomer Logan Wilson — who compiled a 90.0 PFF run-defense grade only a year ago — Dallas has further attempted to solidify its ability to stop ground attacks.

The Jets go all-in on a rebuild

The Jets did what few thought was even comprehensible when they traded away Gardner, one of the NFL’s best corners only months after notching a record-setting extension. Now, New York has indicated that hardly any player is off limits, no matter how big the name.

In moving on from the team’s 2019 first-round pick — a player who had been a steadfast Jet despite a 33-75 record with no playoff berths in that span — new general manager Darren Mougey is committed to the long term, prioritizing controllable assets over talented players who had failed to generate team results.

In netting two more touted picks, the Jets now boast two first-round picks in next year’s draft, two 2026 second-round selections and three 2027 first-round choices. That leaves New York as the primary team to watch as April approaches, possessing nearly unlimited flexibility to move up the board — likely for a quarterback.

Moreover, Mougey has been intent on recouping young, untapped potential back in these transactions. Smith has struggled mightily in his three years as a pro, generating only a 35.9 overall PFF grade with a 29.5 PFF run-defense grade. Still, the former 27^th overall selection was tremendous at Michigan not long ago, posting an 81.3 run-defense mark in 2022.

Like 2024 second-round wideout Adonai Mitchell — whom the Jets acquired from Indianapolis — Smith is a young talent that could be worth taking a flier. Ultimately, at 1-7, it makes more sense for the Jets to stash youthful, cheap potential building blocks instead of waste expensive stars — and those two players qualify.

Cowboys prioritize current window despite nuanced concerns

At 3-5-1 and with only a 4% chance to make the playoffs, it would’ve been easy for Jones to wave a white flag and/or do nothing at the trade deadline. Instead, he’s committed to improving his team’s weaknesses, trying to capitalize on an elite offense that could look much different next year.

For as poor as Dallas’ defense has been this season, its offense has been the exact inverse. The Cowboys place sixth in offensive EPA per play, fifth in success rate, third in first downs accrued and seventh in touchdown drive rate. Dak Prescott (87.8 overall PFF grade) has played at an MVP level; receivers CeeDee Lamb (75.0) and George Pickens (81.9) have been arguably the league’s best receiver duo; and Javonte Williams (74.5) has boosted a bad running game.

Considering that Pickens and Williams will be free agents come March, it’s shrewd to make the most of the team’s current personnel. After all, both will likely command top dollar in the offseason, and it’s no guarantee that either will play with a star on their helmet next year. On top of that, Prescott (32) isn’t getting any younger or cheaper, with his cap hit set to skyrocket to $76 million next season.

However, Dallas’ defensive flaws extend well beyond just run defense. The Cowboys have been just as bad against the pass, as the table below indicates.

Possessing a player like Williams should make the Cowboys better on the ground, which could theoretically open up advantageous looks in the pass game. At the same time, Williams hasn’t been extremely effective as a pass rusher of late. He’s posted just a 57.1 PFF pass-rushing grade this year with a 7.5% pass-rush win rate.

Dallas is still very vulnerable in its secondary, too. High-paid corner DaRon Bland has produced just a 62.6 PFF coverage grade this year, and Trevon Diggs remains on injured reserve with a knee injury. The team’s other options, like Kaiir Elam and Reddy Steward, haven’t been much better. All told, only one Dallas defender with 100 or more coverage snaps has played above a 65.0 coverage mark.

Williams undoubtedly makes the Cowboys a better defensive unit, but he’s also an expensive gamble to patch a widespread leak.