The Dallas Cowboys might be in the market for a trade — and the biggest impact they could make right now is cutting a deal for an elite edge rusher.
Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker pitched trade scenarios that would bring the Cowboys an edge rusher and floated a pair of former 1st-round picks: Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Zaven Collins or New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV.
Collins was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. McDonald was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys are 2-2 and host the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 5. The NFL trade deadline is November 10, but the Cowboys don’t have their bye until Week 14.
The Cowboys used a 026 1st-round pick on an edge rusher with Malachi Lawrence and also traded for a former Pro Bowl edge rusher and a former 1st-round pick in Rashan Gary, but he only has 4.0 sacks through 4 games and no player with more than 1 sack.
What Zaven Collins Brings to Cowboys
Collins, 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, has 1 big thing the Cowboys would love—besides his talent: an affordable contract. He signed a 2-year, $14 million contract extension that runs out after 2026 and is only due $4.3 million this season.
“A former first-round pick by Arizona, Collins has quietly rounded into a very sound player, if not one of the better run defenders at his position,” Locker wrote on October 7. “This season, his 90.6 PFF run-defense grade trails only T.J. Watt and Will Anderson Jr. among edge rushers, and his 9.8% run stop rate is also in the 84th percentile. Cowboys edge defenders currently own the worst PFF run-defense grade, and Jerry Jones is always wont to add more defensive talent.”
While Collins would help with the run, he’s never been a high-volume pass rusher — he has only 12.0 career sacks over his first 5 seasons and had a career-high 5.0 sacks in 2024.
What Will McDonald IV Brings to Cowboys
If the Cowboys were to make a deal, it might likely be for McDonald, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, because the Cowboys and Jets have already cut a deal recently – the Jets sent NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys at the 2025 trade deadline.
“Although McDonald hasn’t become a bonafide star emblematic of a 15th overall pick, his pass-rushing has been consistently above-average,” Locker wrote. “Since 2023, McDonald’s 75.7 PFF pass-rush grade ties for 30th among 91 qualified edge defenders. McDonald has compiled 124 pressures in his career despite missing much of his rookie campaign and being just four games into 2026. The Jets seemed to make future investments in the edge rusher position with David Bailey and Joseph Ossai this offseason, while Kingsley Enagbare has also played more than McDonald. The 27-year-old on a one-year deal should draw eyes for teams looking to better pursue the quarterback.”
While McDonald is in the final season of his 4-year, $16.32 million rookie contract, there’s a catch — the Jets have already picked up the 5th-year option at a less-than-ideal $14.4 million for 2027.
Cowboys Trade Pitches Target Pair of Former 1st-Round Picks