As a part of their ongoing rebuild, the New York Jets made one of the blockbuster moves of the trade deadline last season, sending star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for 2026 and 2027 draft capital.
New York got quite the haul in return for their franchise player, and are now positioned to hold multiple picks in both the first and second rounds of this year’s draft.
With the 2026 NFL Draft upon us, let’s revisit the Williams trade and see where Dallas’s picks landed in the draft.
New York Jets receive: DT Mazi Smith, 2026 second-round pick (No. 44 overall), 2027 first-round pick
The Jets hold a 2027 first-round pick, but the 2026 NFL Draft saw them with an extra second-round selection. When the Jets pick at 44 overall, we will update.
Smith continued to underwhelm in New York. He started 17 games in 2024 but zero in 2025, playing only eight in total. The former first-round pick is struggling and in danger of being released or traded again.
Williams quickly caught up to speed in Dallas, recording a stellar 32 pressures in just seven games with the Cowboys. He had a 19.6 percent pass-rush win rate, which is amazing for an interior defensive lineman, and fit in well with Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark on the interior.
Williams also recorded a 12 percent run stop rate, ranking second on the team behind only Jadaveon Clowney, showing his talent in both facets of the game.
In the midst of a major rebuild, the trade wasn’t fully receptive to the fanbase, but one that the Jets couldn’t pass up with the haul they got.
Receiving a first-round and second-round pick for a 28-year-old defensive tackle that doesn’t fit New York’s contending timeline is the right way to go about rebuilding the team. Now, the only question is: can the Jets draft effectively enough with their newfound draft capital?
In past years, we’ve seen New York struggle with that, which has been the reason behind their struggles to get over the hump. It starts with their second-round pick this year, but this is a multi-year process for the Jets, and this trade was the start.