2 things can be true about the Jets trading away Quinnen Williams

It's been a frustrating season for the New York Jets pass rush. Some weeks, they're dominant. Like in Week 5, when they recorded eight sacks in their outing against the Cleveland Browns. Then they have outings like this past weekend against the New England Patriots, where they failed to bring Drake Maye down even once.

The Jet Press' own Mike Luciano pointed out that a bulk of the Jets' pass-rush struggles boil down to some questionable roster-building decisions from Darren Mougey this past offseason. While New York has two high-end speed rushers in David Bailey and Will McDonald IV, they don't have the guys on the interior to pick up the slack.

T'Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, and even rookie Darrell Jackson Jr. are all really solid run-stuffing defensive tackles. But they don't have the chops to put pressure on the interior of opposing offensive lines. It's almost like the Jets could really use a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive tackle.

A player like... Quinnen Williams would really be able to take this Jets pass rush up a notch. Too bad New York decided to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys last November.

Regardless, two things can be true about Darren Mougey's Williams trade. The Jets desperately miss his presence on the interior of their defensive line, and the return they got from Dallas was just too good to pass up.

New York Jets shouldn't regret Quinnen Williams trade

Despite how badly the Jets could use a player like Williams right now, trading him at last year's deadline was definitely the best choice they could've made. No matter what he could've done for New York's pass rush in 2026.

Not only did the Jets get the Cowboys' 2026 second-round draft pick, which eventually landed them Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, but they're also getting the better of either Dallas' or the Green Bay Packers' first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Maybe those players won't add up to the same type of value Williams brought to the Jets over his seven-year run in New York, but it's also possible that we've already seen the best of the former 2019 first-round draft choice.

To put it lightly, Williams has not been the same player in 2026 as he has been in years past. According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys' defensive tackle has graded out as the league's 46th-best defensive lineman, not ideal for the second-highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL.

Yes, Williams would've made the Jets' pass rush that much better this year. But would it be worth giving up the draft capital and financial flexibility they got back in the trade? The answer is no.

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