The Dallas Cowboys closed the book on the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade during the 2026 NFL Draft.
The original framework of the trade saw Dallas acquire Kenny Clark, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick for Parsons. Thanks to a series of trades, the Cowboys ultimately turned their haul into five players, while also sending Mazi Smith and a 2026 second-round pick in other trades.
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Dallas ended up with veteran defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, first-round edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, fourth-round cornerback Devin Moore and fourth-round edge rusher LT Overton.
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That left Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones happy with the end result of the Parsons trade.
“We feel really good about it,” Jones told Adam Schein of the Parsons deal during a May 5 appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio. “Obviously, much respect for Micah and what he stands for and how he plays and the caliber of player he is. At the same time, we feel good about what we’ve added via that trade.”
Jones was particularly happy with the acquisitions of Williams and Clark. He referred to the duo as “alpha players” and praised the leadership skills each showed during the 2025 season in Dallas.
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Additionally, Jones expressed excitement about the depth the team had accumulated on defense. He expressed excitement about adding Caleb Downs to their defense and said he was “fired up” about Donovan Ezeiruaku after the 2025 second-round pick generated 28 pressures and two sacks while playing 54.6% of the snaps during his rookie season.
“I just feel very optimistic that we have the right pieces in place,” Jones said. “Ultimately, the decision we made was that one player is not worth four or five good ones, and we feel like that’s where we’re going to end up here in a good spot.”
Jones added Dallas’ “opportunity” to trade Parsons was unique, and the team felt it wasn’t “one player away” from being a contender last season.
Soon, Cowboys fans will get a chance to see if that philosophy proves correct, as Dallas will be relying on the infusion of defensive talent it received in the Parsons trade to turn around a defense that ranked last in defensive EPA per play last season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
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Jones is confident that it will happen under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
“I certainly feel like we’re putting the pieces together to give us an opportunity to go do what our fans deserve, what we want, which is to go and try to win the big trophy,” Jones said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Cowboys ‘feel really good about’ Micah Parsons trade
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