“The Dallas Cowboys have done a respectable job bouncing back from last year’s disastrous Micah Parsons trade,” Sobleski wrote on Monday. “First, the organization decided coaching staff changes were necessary to improve the league’s worst defense. Christian Parker is now the squad’s defensive coordinator, and he brings a far different approach than the team’s previous play-caller, Matt Eberflus. The team also traded away defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, and Solomon Thomas. Instead, Dallas brought in Rashan Gary, Otito Ogbonnia, and first-rounder Malachi Lawrence to go along with Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and Donovan Ezeiruaku, who were added last year. The Cowboys also made the move of draft weekend by trading up one pick to land No. 1-ranked prospect, Caleb Downs, and pair him with the free-agent signing of Jalen Thompson. Dallas could have improved at cornerback, though. Finally, the Cowboys made sure to retain wide receiver George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams to keep the league’s second-ranked offense intact.”

Final Results of ‘Disastrous’ Micah Parsons Trade

While trading Parsons to the Green Bay Packers may have unwittingly tanked the 2025 season for the Cowboys, the results may have set the franchise up for long-term success.

On paper, at least, we now have the final results of the trade that swapped Parsons for a 2027 1st-round pick, 2026 1st-round pick, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

“The book on the Micah Parsons trade is officially closed,” Cowboys podcaster Dan Rogers wrote on his official X account. “Packers get: Micah Parsons. Cowboys get: Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, Malachi Lawrence, Devin Moore, LT Overton.”

The Parsons trade came after several years of testy contract negotiations between the star edge rusher and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The Packers signed Parsons to a record-setting 4-year, $188 million contract extension the same day as the trade.

Cowboys Edge Rusher Searching for Identity

The most obvious thing to point out about the Parsons draft haul is that they ended up with 2 edge rushers in Lawrence, a 1st round pick (No. 23 overall), and Overton in the 4th round (No. 137 overall).

The Cowboys weren’t done there. They also drafted Michigan edge rusher Raishawn Barham in the 3rd round (No. 91 overall).

While Lawrence has a clear-cut path to becoming a featured edge rusher for the Cowboys, Overton’s path might be a little different. At 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds, Overton could very well end up playing defensive tackle to provide much-needed depth behind a pair of Pro Bowlers in Clark and Williams.

“LT Overton is the most versatile defensive lineman in the 2026 NFL draft class,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote before the draft. “He’s an impressive run defender with the potential to be an impactful pass-rusher at the next level.”