​If the Cowboys want to salvage a defense that stalled last season, all eyes will be on Quinnen Williams as the catalyst. Williams was brought to Dallas from the Jets at last year’s trade deadline, landing for a pair of premium draft picks, and he is now stepping into his eighth NFL season and his first full campaign with the Cowboys. A four-time Pro Bowler and once named an All-Pro, Williams has proven himself to be one of the premier interior defenders in the league. Yet despite his individual excellence, he never made the playoffs during his time with the Jets. As he nears his 29th birthday in December, Williams will aim to break that trend this season and help drive Dallas back to the postseason.
Before training camp, ESPN conducted a poll of league executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top players at each position, and Williams landed at No. 6 among the best defensive tackles in the NFL. That ranking marked a slight drop from his No. 5 spot in last year’s poll. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler captured the sentiment around Williams, including insights from two anonymous NFL coaches.
“After six-plus seasons with the Jets, a full year with a new team should benefit Williams,” said one executive. “The Jets will knock you down—the same thing happened to Leonard Williams—but I expect Quinnen to be better in Dallas, to feel rejuvenated a bit.” An NFL coordinator added, “Quinnen is going to be better in Dallas, and I think he’ll be rejuvenated after the move.”
In 2025, Williams ranked fifth in run-stop win rate (43%) among 204 qualified players. As a pass rusher, his 19 pressures in seven games with Dallas far surpassed his eight pressures in eight games with the Jets before the trade. The Cowboys are hopeful that Williams will elevate his pass-rush production in 2026, as his 2.5 sacks represented his lowest total since his rookie season in 2019. “As far as skill sets, he’s still so gifted and such a matchup problem,” noted a veteran NFL offensive coach.
Within the poll, Williams’ highest ranking reached No. 3, while his lowest ranking fell outside the top 10. The poll also highlighted that two Philadelphia Eagles—Jalen Carter at No. 3 and Jordan Davis at No. 10—made the top 10. Former Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who was traded to San Francisco this offseason, and Kenny Clark did not crack the top 10 but did receive votes.
As the Cowboys prepare for training camp, expectations are clear: Williams must bring stability, disruption, and explosive play up front to anchor a defense that has to prove it can compete at a high level in a tough NFC. With Williams in the middle, Dallas hopes to reestablish a formidable interior presence that can collapse pockets, spur tackles into making mistakes, and free up teammates on the edges to rush the passer. If Williams can replicate his prime form and sustain it across a full season, Dallas could finally flip the script on a defense that struggled to close out games and limit offenses in 2025.