While the Dallas Cowboys needed a defensive game-changer like Quinnen Williams to fortify their defensive line in the wake of the whole Micah Parsons situation, many believed that giving up a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a first-rounder in 2027 was a bit of an overpay.
Anyone still holding onto that opinion may need to look at what the Jacksonville Jaguars did to acquire former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis. James Gladstone sent the same compensation package, a first-round choice and a second-round pick, to Philly in exchange for the mammoth run-stuffer.
As good of a player as Davis is, even Eagles fans will concede that Williams is a cut above due to his combination of interior disruption and run-stuffing.
Even in a trade market that is a bit inflated due to moves like the Quinnen trade, getting a fringe All-Pro player for the same compensation as Davis makes Jerry Jones look like quite the smooth negotiator.
Cowboys' Quinnen Williams trade looks even better after Jaguars' Jordan Davis move
While Davis is a very good player who was a key part of a championship defense, he comes with some issues. He doesn't play a plurality of snaps every single game, and his 9.5 sacks in five years show somewhat limited upside as a pass rusher. Williams comes with none of those concerns.
Williams' five sacks in 2026 are right on par with his usual career averages, and he is leading the NFL in tackles for loss with 14 this year. If the Cowboys didn't pull off this trade, they would have likely used one of those picks on an inferior tackle from a very thin 2026 class.
The Jaguars needed a run stuffer to keep that area of the team elite following DaVon Hamilton's season-ending injury, and there is some appeal in adding someone in Davis who is under contract throughout the 2029 season, but the Jaguars paid a Williams-level price for someone who is likely not going to be as disruptive.
The Cowboys juiced the trade market by acquiring Quinnen Williams
In a market where Sauce Gardner can be traded for two first-round picks and a No. 2 wide receiver and a player of Williams' caliber in Jeffery Simmons cost two first-round picks, Williams' deal is not a drain on the team's future as it may have looked when it was originally struck.
The Eagles, to their credit, saw the writing on the wall, and now they have 10 picks in the first two rounds during the next three NFL Drafts.
The Cowboys have overpaid often for players they deem as solid fits, and Jerry Jones is far from a cutting-edge general manager, but the Williams deal looks more like a heist than ever before.
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