2. The George Pickens Steal
Cowboys Receive: WR George Pickens.
Steelers Receive: 2026 Third-Round Pick.
Grade: A+
The Cowboys stole one of the league’s best wide receivers for the cost of a third-round pick.
You can’t get anything less than an A+ for that.
Of course, Pittsburgh didn’t see the George Pickens that Dallas saw in his one-year with the team, but the flashes were there, and they just didn’t care to see it through, or surround him with an offense to bring out his talents.
This may have been the best Cowboys trade of my lifetime, and it sets them up to either keep the league’s best wide receiver tandem together or flip Pickens for much more than the third they sent out.
3. The Quinnen Williams Midseason Move
Cowboys Receive: DT Quinnen Williams
Jets Receive: DT Mazi Smith, 2026 Second-Round Pick, 2027 First-Round Pick (Highest of GB’s or DAL’s).
Grade: A-
I struggle between an A- or a straight-up A for the Cowboys in this move, but I’ll wait until we see a bit more of Quinnen Williams before moving it higher.
Dallas’s midseason blockbuster with the Jets paid immediate dividends with the performance of Williams, who quickly proved to be the team’s most talented defensive tackle in at least a decade.
The two picks + Mazi Smith doesn’t hurt too badly now, especially with their two 1’s post-Micah trade.
I see this as a clear win for Dallas that puts the key piece of their defense in place for years to come.