Top 10 Dallas Cowboys of 2026: Quinnen Williams Ready For First Full Season in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys made a major midseason trade in 2025 that helped address both the present and future of the team's struggling defense.

Dallas acquired former First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets in exchange for defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick. Though the trade didn't help the Cowboys push their way into the playoffs, Dallas has since made other moves to improve a league-worst defensive unit that now has Williams as one of the centerpieces.

With seven games of experience as a Cowboy last year and now a full offseason under his belt in Dallas, the expectations for Williams entering 2026 are among the highest on the team. If the Cowboys are set to make a run for the NFC East title, Williams will be seen as a major reason why.

With training camp set to begin later this month, it's worth taking a look at Williams' first reps as a Cowboy from last season while also touching on some of what he showed during the first half of the year with the Jets.

Looking Back at Quinnen Williams' 2025 Season With Cowboys, Jets

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams walks off the field with trainers after an injury during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Williams played in 15 total games (all starts) last season, eight with the Jets and seven with Dallas. He had been linked as a potential trade candidate with the Cowboys dating back to last offseason when the Micah Parsons deal went down, but Dallas wasn't able to close the deal until the 2025 trade deadline.

Williams still earned his fourth-career Pro Bowl nod, but overall, it wasn't exactly a season that met his usually-elite standards.

Here's a look at the numbers from Williams' 2025 campaign (Jets and Cowboys):

- 15 appearances (15 starts)

- 53 total tackles (26 solo)

- 2.5 sacks

- 12 quarterback hits

- three forced fumbles

- one pass breakup

- one interception

Predicting Quinnen Williams' 2026 Campaign

With improved talent now on the Dallas defense at nearly every position, Williams will likely see better overall numbers next season.

When it comes to defensive tackles, it's important to emphasize that stats don't always demonstrate elite impact, but we expect Williams to still see an increase in sacks during the 2026 campaign.

Here's what we predict Williams' 2026 season will look like by the numbers:

- 16 appearances (16 starts, one missed game)

- 65 total tackles (31 solo)

- 6.5 sacks

- 21 quarterback hits

- two forced fumbles

- one fumble recovery

- four pass breakups

Putting together these kind of numbers next season will almost certainly earn Williams another Pro Bowl nod while also helping Dallas make its way back to the postseason.

Williams is no doubt one of the team's most important players but will need to take things up a slight notch next year in order to help the Cowboys reach their full potential.

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