This former Alabama Crimson Tide star is already off to a great start with his new NFL team.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide star Quinnen Williams was surprisingly dealt at the NFL trade deadline, with the New York Jets sending him to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jets reaped quite a haul in return, landing former first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a first-round draft pick and a second-rounder. But the Cowboys came away with a three-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro.
Williams flashed just how good he can be in his Dallas debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, logging four tackles, 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hits in the Cowboys' 33-16 win. For reference, he had totaled 32 tackles, one sack and three quarterback hits in eight games with the Jets this season.
So perhaps the Alabama product just needed a change of scenery?
Williams definitely fills a role Dallas desperately needed. The Cowboys acquired a run-stuffing defensive tackle in Kenny Clark just before the season started in the deal that sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. But Parsons' departure left a major pass-rushing void.
Well, Williams has absolutely begun to patch that hole for Dallas while also doing a terrific job against the run in his first game with the club, too.
The 27-year-old is under contract through 2027, but he only has $5 million in guaranteed money coming to him in 2026 and none in the last year of his deal. Obviously, the Cowboys will have to remedy that, and part of the reason why New York traded Williams to begin with was because it didn't want to re-work his contract.
But given that Dallas has traded such valuable assets just to bag Williams, you have to figure that owner Jerry Jones will get that taken care of.
Williams spent two years with the Crimson Tide in 2017 and 2018, helping lead Alabama to a national championship during his freshman campaign and then racking up 71 tackles. 19.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks en route to All-American status the following year.
The Jets proceeded to select the Birmingham native with the third overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. While he got off to a slow start in New York, he broke out in 2022 when he rattled off 55 tackles, 12 sacks and 28 quarterback hits. That marked his first of three straight Pro Bowl appearances, and he also earned a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Williams' production has faded the last couple of years, however, which had some wondering if his best days were behind him. But maybe all he needed was a different uniform.
It will be interesting to monitor the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman to see how he performs the remainder of the campaign, especially with a pay day on the line. But there is no doubt that Williams already looks dominant in Dallas.