While the Micah Parsons trade won't be completely finalized for another year (we'll circle back to the full details momentarily), the Dallas Cowboys have now officially gotten everything they can get out of the deal after using the remaining first-round pick they received from the Green Bay Packers. Well, almost, that is.
Before we get to that, though, it's worth noting that with Parsons' departure, the Dallas defense obviously wasn't as strong as it would have been had he been there. And it's no secret that the unit was one of the worst in the league this past year, thus leading to more losses. As such, the Cowboys were in a better position to steal Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall after making a trade with the Miami Dolphins to move up one slot.
As for the pick from the Packers, America's Team was originally slated to select at No. 20 overall, but made another trade, this time with the Philadelphia Eagles, thus moving back three slots to No. 23, where they selected UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, who earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors this past year and is one of just seven players in the country to have tallied at least five sacks in each of the last three seasons, recording 19.5 in that stretch.
Is Lawrence the game-changing prospect that Parsons was five years ago? Of course not. But this is a good get for the Cowboys, as he should fit in well with what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker plans to do. He's been skyrocketing up draft boards over the last couple of months, and his 89.5 PFF pass-rush grade in 2025, which ranked 33rd among 852 qualifying edge defenders, should have Dallas fans feeling good.
In addition to the pick that got them Lawrence, the Cowboys also received a pair of fourth-rounders at Nos. 114 and 137 overall, so that original No. 20 pick will give them a couple of more players come Saturday. They did send a seventh-rounder to Philly at No. 218 overall, but this certainly looks like an overall win for Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons trade looks far better now than it did when it first went down
The Cowboys, of course, dealt Parsons to Green Bay last August, receiving a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark in return.
As anyone would expect, Parsons went to the Packers and made a monstrous impact, racking up 79 total pressures and 12.5 sacks in 14 appearances before his season came to an abrupt end when he tore the ACL in his left knee during a Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Despite missing the final three weeks of the season, Parsons still earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, his third First-Team All-Pro nod, and a third-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Now, Parsons is one of those players that is simply irreplaceable, as that's just what comes with being a generational talent. But the Cowboys have at least gotten some positive things out of the trade.
For starters, Clark, who was apparently a must-have when Jones made the deal with the Packers, had a solid first season in Dallas, with his 67.6 overall PFF grade ranking 37th among 134 qualifying interior defenders. The three-time Pro Bowler still has two years remaining on his contract, so the Cowboys will obviously be hoping he can continue to produce.
The bigger get, of course, was Quinnen Williams, who Dallas acquired from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder, and Mazi Smith. Gang Green will receive the higher of the Cowboys' first-round picks next year. So, however that pick turns out will determine the final details of the Parsons trade.
In seven games with the Cowboys, Williams earned an 89.6 overall PFF grade, an 88.8 run-defense grade (you know Jerry Jones loved that), and a 79.0 pass-rush grade, helping him earn his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection. It'll certainly be exciting to see what he can do with a full season in Dallas.
And it'll obviously also be exciting to see what Downs and Lawrence bring to the table in their respective rookie campaigns.
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