Jonathan Mingo disasterclass could boost Mike Williams' trade value for NY Jets

The NFL world is mocking the Dallas Cowboys following the highly questionable trade that saw the team send a fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Jonathan Mingo on Tuesday. Somehow the NY Jets might be the winners of that trade.

Mingo has ranked as one of the worst wide receivers in the NFL since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2023. The former Mississippi standout has two career fumbles and zero touchdowns in the NFL.

Mingo ranks 91st out of 91 qualified receivers in overall receiver rating over the last two years, per ESPN Analytics. His 16 open score is nine points lower than any other qualified receiver.

Despite this, the Cowboys sent a 2025 fourth-round pick to Carolina in exchange for Mingo and a seventh-round pick. Such a preposterous deal could actually be good news for the Jets if they still intend to trade Mike Williams.

Mike Williams trade value on the rise following Jonathan Mingo trade

It's always important to look at the context of NFL trades when trying to analyze the true value of players. The Cowboys didn't just trade a fourth-round pick for Mingo — they also traded for his contract.

Mingo still has 2.5 years of team control and is on a very inexpensive rookie contract. That's a valuable asset for teams. Unfortunately, the part Jerry Jones and the Cowboys seemed to overlook is that the quality of a player matters as well.

Mingo is an excellent athlete who hasn't been able to play wide receiver at the NFL level. He's essentially Denzel Mims with 2.5 years of team control. That's not worth a fourth-round pick.

Still, the Mingo deal has a chance to elevate the entire wide receiver trade market. That could be good news for the Jets if Williams is still on the trade block.

Williams has been the subject of frequent trade rumors since the team acquired Davante Adams last month. Most assumed that Williams was a lock to be traded before today's deadline, but plans might've changed following Allen Lazard's injury.

With Lazard sidelined for a minimum of three more games, Williams is suddenly playing an important role in the Jets' offense again. Woody Johnson is still hoping to make an unlikely playoff push despite the team's 3-6 record. Trading Williams now would actively work against his intentions.

Still, Williams can likely still be had for the right price. The Mingo trade might force teams around the NFL — looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers here — to pony up and pay more than they would have liked for a receiver like Williams.

At the very least, the Mingo trade certainly doesn't hurt the Jets. Either they retain Williams and move forward with him as their WR3 for the time being or they trade him and receive a relative haul.

Now, Jets fans shouldn't expect their team to receive a fourth-round pick in a Williams deal unless it's part of a pick swap. Williams has just 12 catches in nine games this season and is set to be a free agent in the offseason. That tanks his value.

That said, the Mingo trade does potentially help Williams' trade value. The Jets should be thanking the Cowboys for their imbecilic decision.

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