So, it happened. The Dallas Cowboys actually traded Micah Parsons to end the drama between both sides. But was it a deal that fueled new drama in the Big D?
In a blockbuster deal that sent the Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Cowboys at least got something for one of the most explosive defensive players in the NFL but was it enough.
While Cowboys fans are throwing tomatoes and obscenities at team owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones based on the emotion of the trade, let’s look at what Dallas got in return as far as future draft capital and historical draft value of the two players involved.
Parsons gets his big money, but are the Cowboys really the loser in the deal?
There is no doubt Parsons is worth multiple high-round picks. Selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Penn State product has come as advertised. A quarterback’s nightmare, Parsons is not only a game-changer, but a player who elevates the players around him. The Packers are getting a stud who makes them a Super Bowl favorite.
Green Bay is also giving up an All-Pro defender in Clark who was selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Clark has been a stud the last few seasons with the Packers with a total of 417 tackles and 35 sacks since his rookie season. That is tremendous production from the defensive tackle position. With Saquon Barkley dominating the NFC East, the Cowboys get a run stopper who can contribute to the team now.
What about the pass rush?
The Packers are the winners here and get an A+ based on what Parsons brings to the table. The Clark side of the trade also deserves a high grade as far as what he brings to the middle of the defense as a player who can get pressure up the middle.
The incomplete grade we’ll give the trade comes from how rookie edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku helps fill the void of Parsons. Dante Fowler Jr., Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland will see their roles increase, but if Ezeiruaku emerges, this deal might not sting as much for Cowboys fan.
Draft compensation: A historical comparison
As far as the draft compensation, the Cowboys look like the team that got fleeced. Are two first-round picks enough?
A trade that is drawing comparison is the Khalil Mack trade between the then-Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears. Along with Mack, the Bears received a 2020 second-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick. The Raiders received a 2019 first round pick, a 2019 sixth round pick, a 2020 first round pick and a 2020 third round pick.
While the Cowboys also received two first round picks, the difference is the additional mid-round picks and late round pick the Raiders received in the Mack deal. The addition of Clark in the deal offsets one of the picks. One could argue Clark being worth the third-round pick. Given the Raiders give up a second-round pick in addition to Mack, the Cowboys deal is not as bad as it seems.
In fact, NFL Mocks will give it a B. The Cowboys now enter the 2026 and 2027 NFL drafts with two first round picks. Although the Packers picks are projected to be late-first round picks, it does give the team options to move up in those drafts or at the very least gives them the opportunity to draft a couple starters. Depending on how things go in Dallas, their own picks could turn out to be high first-round picks which give them an opportunity to draft the next Parsons, or an impact player in another position.
Our own John Blair did explore those options with 5 potential prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft to replace Parsons. That list includes two stand out edge rushers in Clemson’s T.J. Parker and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. If they get either of those players, the Cowboys will be alright. They might be more than alright if they prove their defense can be just as disruptive without Parsons.
That’s a long shot, but anything is possible in the NFL and teams that trade away star players somehow end up being fine.