Now that the Dallas Cowboys traded both Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas yesterday to clear the defensive tackle logjam, Jerry Jones should be looking at the next upgrade he can make to this defense. And believe it or not, these trades just dropped the perfect splash move right in his lap.
Minnesota Vikings' star edge rusher Jonathan Greenard can be had in a trade. The Vikings have reportedly been asking for a Day 2 pick in exchange for the All-Pro, which Dallas didn't have until they sent Odighizuwa to San Francisco.
Jones traded the Cowboys' 2026 second-round pick in the Quinnen Williams deal, while the Pittsburgh Steelers own Dallas' original third-round pick from the George Pickens trade. However, they acquired a 2026 third-rounder from the 49ers, which they could flip to Minnesota for Greenard.
The Dallas Cowboys should flip their 2026 third-round pick for Jonathan Greenard
Now that the Maxx Crosby dreams are all but dead, Greenard is a necessary pivot for a Cowboys' team that is desperately searching for impact pass-rushers. They clearly still miss Micah Parsons, but given the price tag, the 28-year-old makes a lot of sense for a defense that hopes to get way younger.
Across 2023 and 2024, Greenard combined for 24.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, and 44 quarterback hits. A shoulder injury limited him to just 12 games last season, but he still finished seventh in the NFL with a 13.5 percent pressure rate, per ESPN.
It's impressive how easily Greenard managed to replace Danielle Hunter in Minnesota, but now his future is in doubt. The Vikings hope former first-round pick Dallas Turner will be the new face of their pass rush, which opened the door for Dallas to swoop in and land Greenard at an affordable price.
Sharing a defensive line with Williams, Kenny Clark, and Donovan Ezeiruaku once he returns to the field would be a pretty nasty defensive line for Christian Parker to work with in his first season. While parting with Odighizuwa hurts, if Dallas uses that pick to get Greenard, no one should complain.
What should give the Cowboys a kick in the rear is that the Eagles have already inquired about Greenard and have reached out about a possible contract extension. It would be a brutal turn of events if the star pass rusher landed in Philadelphia.