Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys made a big splash this week when they traded for New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The former Alabama stud defender was highly coveted coming out of college, which is why he was selected third overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s been sensational from the onset. Despite being known as a run-stopping specialist, he has surprisingly good pass-rushing skills, racking up at least 5.5 sacks in each of the last five seasons. He compiled an amazing 12 sacks in 2022, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
To land Williams, the Cowboys will give up the better of the two first-round picks from 2027, one of which they gained from the Micah Parsons trade. Additionally, they gave up their second-round pick from the 2026 draft. Because of draft pick depreciation, the value of a 2027 first-rounder is equivalent to a second-round pick in 2026. So essentially, they got Williams for two second-round picks. That’s a good value for a player of his caliber.
Some are questioning his talent, oddly, because his sack total this season sits at a measly one sack. This is his seventh season in the pros, so many are already labeling him in a “decline” state, but there is no physical evidence to suggest such. He’s 27 years old and has plenty of good years left. If you look at six-time Pro Bowler Chris Jones from the Kansas City Chiefs, he didn’t earn his first first-team All-Pro until the age of 28, where he then reeled off three-straight first-team All-Pro seasons.
Anyone who puts on the tape of Williams should be immediately pleased. He’s the kind of guy who does so many things well and whose success is built on razor-sharp fundamentals that won’t be nullified by declining physical traits, because he never had elite traits in the first place. Williams is an “it-factor” guy who possesses the intangibles because of his play instincts and breadth of skills. The Cowboys finally have themselves a legit force along the interior defensive line, and today we’ll run through the skills that make Williams such a remarkable asset for the defense.
At 6’3”, 303 pounds, Williams doesn’t have the mammoth size that most run-stopping defensive tackles have. He doesn’t possess overpowering strength and looks like he would be susceptible to being pushed around, but those moments rarely happen. He does a remarkable job staying low and getting under the chest of his blockers. His hands are so quick that he puts himself in a position to win with leverage consistently. This is a big reason he’s known for resetting the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t matter if he is fighting through double teams or going one-on-one. He drives the blockers where he wants to go.
One of the things that makes Williams so effective is how he’s always spying the ball carrier. He’s never going to get caught up, entangled with his blockers, unaware of what is happening with the play. His eyes are...
