Cowboys trade for Raiders DT Johnathan Hankins, boost run-stuffing unit
When asked if he thought the Dallas Cowboys would be making any trades on Sunday, owner Jerry Jones said:
"“I don’t see that, you always, if its of the magnitude of getting a Deion Sanders on this team, I’ll grab that phone but seriously I don’t expect to have a trade.”"
It wasn’t anyone like Hall of Fame WR Deion Sanders, but the Cowboys did make a trade on Tuesday afternoon.
In a move with the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas sent a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for DT Johnathan Hankins and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Although the Cowboys have an incredibly solid defense, Hankins currently has a better PFF grade against the run (an area Dallas has struggled with) than every other Dallas tackle except for Trysten Hill.
The new Cowboy is a former second-round pick from the 2013 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Giants, then jumped to Indianapolis for a year before landing with the Raiders for the last five years.
Before 2022, he started 116 games in nine years and collected nine passes defended, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 14.5 sacks, and 356 tackles.
Jerry Jones two days ago: We won't be making any trades unless someone like Deion Sanders comes around
— The Landry Hat (@LandryHat) October 25, 2022
Jerry Jones today: Trades for Raiders DT Johnathan Hankins pic.twitter.com/IN4cG8Pd9n
The Dallas Cowboys trade a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Raiders for DT Johnathan Hankins and a 2024 seventh-round pick
The 6-foot-3, 340-pound defender will certainly provide veteran depth to the interior. This move is timely given the Cowboys face Chicago this Sunday who had 243 rushing yards against New England on Monday night.
Cowboys face four top-ranked rush offenses: Chicago (1), Giants (2), Eagles (6), Jaguars (9) the rest of the way, plus Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor. They knew run defense needed to be addressed and got Johnathan Hankins.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 25, 2022
This also comes amid an apparent “controversy” (use the term lightly) with tackle Neville Gallimore. The third-year Cowboy was a healthy scratch in Week 7 after performing decently well in his first six games with Dallas.
In an otherwise dominating defense in all sectors, the run defense seems to be an area that lacks a bit. The Cowboys clearly saw that and made a trade to try and solve that issue.
Welcome aboard, Hankins!
