Since the Cowboys traded defensive end Micah Parsons to the Packers before the start of the 2025 season, they have been in dire need of help on the defensive side of the ball. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to address some of those needs before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday by acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets.
The trade for Williams is expected to be a strong improvement for the Cowboys defensive line. Dallas gave up a a 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets to acquire Williams.
While Williams is a three-time Pro Bowler and former first team All-Pro, he should not be expected to fill the shoes of Parsons. For one, Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and few players can match the impact he has on the field. Secondly, they play different positions and hold different strengths as players, which Williams noted as he spoke to Dallas media for the first time after the trade.
“It’s pretty cool. Micah Parsons is a phenomenal player. He can do things I can’t dream about doing, especially when it comes to rushing the passer,” Williams said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “We’re totally different players. I’m more interior presence, interior push, physical, strong, and a good interior pass rusher. I’m just here to do my job to the best of my ability and be a difference-maker from an interior standpoint and a defensive line standpoint the best way I can.”
Parsons is a much stronger pass rusher than Williams, ranking second in PFF’s pass rush grades with a 92.6 grade, only trailing Lions star Aidan Hutchinson. PFF grades Williams’s pass rushing at 57.1. According to ESPN, Parsons’s pass rush win rate, which tracks how often a defender beats his blocker within 2.5 seconds, is ranked sixth at 21%. Williams is tied for 14th among defensive tackles with a 11% pass rush win rate.
Meanwhile, Williams boasts the edge as a run defender ranking second in the NFL according to PFF with a 90.8 grade in run defense. Parsons, in comparison, holds a 70.2 grade from PFF, which is tied for 50th. Per ESPN, Williams is second in the NFL in run stop win rate at 47%, only trailing teammate Soloman Thomas. Parsons ranks fifth in that category among edge defenders.
Jones previously explained that he traded Parsons in part because he wanted to improve the team’s run defense. While sending Parsons to the Packers is an overall negative for the Cowboys defense, bringing in Williams should bolster the team’s defense against the run.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Cowboys Acquisition Quinnen Williams Details How He Differs From Micah Parsons.