The Jets are 1–7 and going nowhere, which means they should be open for business at the NFL’s trade deadline. That means they will need to shop their best players to improve for the future.
With New York likely looking to find its franchise quarterback through the 2026 NFL draft, a few years of rebuilding are almost sure to follow. The team should aim to get as much as possible for some of its top players, including defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Williams is a three-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro in 2022 when he racked up 12 sacks. Pro Football Focus ranks the seventh-year veteran as the NFL’s best run-stopping interior lineman, with a run defense grade of 90.8. Plenty of teams could use what the 27-year-old brings to the table. Williams has two years left on the four-year, $96 million contract extension he agreed to in 2023, so it’s not an onerous deal for a team to absorb. There’s also plenty of room to re-work or extend it if he’s traded.
Here’s a look at four teams that would be smart to engage the Jets in trade talks.
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Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are back to looking like the class of the AFC, with Patrick Mahomes dicing up the competition, and the defense allowing only seven points over the past two games. They’ve won five of six and are only getting better. That said, the defensive front could use a boost. We’ve already pointed out that Kayvon Thibodeaux could help their pass rush, but they could also boost their run defense.
Kansas City currently ranks dead last in the NFL with a run-stop win rate of 25%. Opposing offenses are averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Chris Jones has a claim to being the best defensive tackle in football, but Pro Football Focus ranks his counterpart, Derrick Nnadi, as the worst interior defensive lineman in football. Nnadi has an overall grade of 30.2 and a run defense grade of 32.7. Kansas City needs to find an upgrade next to Jones, and there’s no better option than Williams.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are 1–7 and need an identity on both sides of the ball going forward. That could come from beefing up one of the weakest units in football. The team’s defense is a mess, ranking 27th in pass-rush win rate (32%) and 17th in run-stop win rate (30%). They could trade Chris Olave and bring in a defensive player with an established reputation to lead the unit moving forward.
Williams has the versatility to line up anywhere along the Saints’ defensive front and would give them a building block as they attempt to transform the franchise. It would be a bold move given the timing, but it’s unlikely New Orleans will be in a position to land a player of Williams’s caliber any time soon.
Green Bay Packers
They’ve already made one big trade to shore up their defense, so why not another? The Packers landed Micah Parsons from the Cowboys before the season, but in doing so, they shipped Kenny Clark out. That has left the interior of their defense a bit thin. Devonte Wyatt is banged up, and Colby Woden is solid but not on Williams’s level.
The Packers are currently 13th in run-stop win rate (31%), and they have a lot of money tied up in Parsons and Rashan Gary. That said, they appear to be all in right now, and adding a rock to the middle of the defense wouldn’t be crazy. It might be costly, but it would dramatically increase their chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are 4–3 and look like a team teetering on the edge of the playoff picture. Jacksonville is 30th in run-stop win rate (27%), while starters DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead grade out about average among interior defensive linemen. With Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker starring as edge rushers, the team’s interior isn’t living up to its job.
Again, this would be a move to boost the team now and into the future, as Williams is a rock the Jags could continue to build around. It would signal to the rest of the league that they mean business on defense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Quinnen Williams Trade Destinations: Four Landing Spots for Jets DT Before NFL Deadline.