The changing perception of the Micah Parsons trade

The initial improvement on defense caused the approval to increase even more, but the play of the defense as a whole caused the mood to drop back down. It started to rise again after the Packers were immediately bounced in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, giving the Cowboys a higher-value first-round selection with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It continued to rise when the Cowboys converted some of Clark’s base salary into bonus money, solidifying the team’s commitment to him going forward, proving he wasn’t just a throw-in as part of the initial trade.

Selecting Malachi Lawrence

When: April 23, 2026

AI Fan Approval Estimate: 62.5%

The Vibe: Enthusiastic acceptance

Fans were still euphoric from the Caleb Downs selection, but things got even better when they landed the explosive pass rusher from Central Florida. Malachi Lawrence had been picking up steam in draft circles, so securing his services was fantastic, but what made things even better was that the Cowboys were also able to snag two extra fourth-round picks from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys moved back a few spots, still got their pass rusher, and took home some Day 3 dancing chips as a bonus. While Lawrence is not Parsons, adding him to the already-strong interior, things are looking a lot better in the trenches.

Adding more defenders

When: April 25, 2026

****AI Fan Approval Estimate:: 77.5%

The Vibe: Complete vindication

On Day 3 of the draft, those two extra fourth-round picks from trading back for Lawrence turned into two more defensive depth pieces. The Cowboys finally addressed the cornerback position by adding a solid boundary corner in Florida’s Devin Moore. And then later in the round, they added a violent, alignment-versatile edge setter in LT Overton. Seeing the direct line from losing Parsons to landing a dominant interior, a first-round pass rusher, and two high-upside defensive depth pieces has converted the vast majority of skeptics.

When you look at the Parsons trade, all of the pieces are finally showing themselves. One player has turned into five for the Cowboys, just as Jerry said when the trade first happened. Financially, the cost of Parsons ($45 million) is essentially the same as the combined cost of both of the defensive tackles, Williams ($24 million) and Clark ($21 million). The team will take on an additional cost for extra rookies, but that will only amount to roughly $7.5 million annually for all three of them combined.

We should also mention that there remains one caveat. As part of the Quinnen Williams trade, the Cowboys gave up a 2026 second-round pick, and they still owe one of their two 2027 first-rounders to the New York Jets. And it’s the better of the two. So there are some missed opportunities that we will never really know about.

If the Packers finish with a worse record than the Cowboys this upcoming season, the Jets will receive Green Bay’s pick, and the Cowboys keep their normal pick, and it’s business as usual. If the Cowboys finish worse than the Packers, the Jets get the Cowboys’ pick, and Dallas will take Green Bay’s pick, meaning they’ll lose some additional draft capital this time next year. For all intents and purposes, the Parsons trade is then donezo.