The Dallas Cowboys' inability to stop the run, which has persisted despite the decision to trade Micah Parsons for a package headlined by Kenny Clark, may finally show signs of being brought to an end after a stunning trade for New York Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Right after the Jets traded All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell, New York acquired Dallas' 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick in exchange for Williams. The deal also sent a player Cowboys fans have grown to hate back to New York.
The Jets will be acquiring former first-round NFL Draft pick Mazi Smith, who has quickly become one of the worst individual players on the Dallas roster. The Cowboys added one of the best in the game at what he does, while Smith is now someone else's problem.
Cowboys finally rid of Mazi Smith after Quinnen Williams trade with Jets
Smith was picked in the first round out of Michigan due to his potential as a run-stuffing defensive tackle (thanks to his immense physical strength), but he never was able to gain much of a foothold in Dallas. When paired with his nonexistent pass rush, there was no reason for him to be active.
While Williams has been known for his pass rush skills, he has graded out as one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the league this season. While he has just one-half sack this season, those numbers could improve due to his still consistently high pressure rate.
With Aaron Glenn and the Jets seemingly admitting this season is a complete lost cause, they seem to be in the business of taking fliers on developmental pieces and seeing if they can turn into anything worth writing home about. If that is their intention, look for them to at least slide Smith in behind Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs.
The Williams deal may have cost the Cowboys an arm and a leg from a draft capital point of view, but by getting an All-Pro talent and offloading a player like Smith, the Cowboys have taken their defensive line room to the next level in just one move.