Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has been a show-stealer with his monster game of eight touchdowns on 73 receptions this season. However, even with those big numbers, he seemingly couldn’t do what defensive tackle Quinnen Williams did. According to Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto, Williams has done more to turn the Cowboys’ season around than Pickens’ post-trade surge.

In the Better Deal segment of his show on Bleacher Report, Bonitto debated whether Pickens or Williams was the better deal for the Cowboys.

“I’m going with Quinnon Williams, man. Just what he’s done in this short amount of games, and you’ve already seen the turnaround defensively and just how much their team is even playing better now, man.”

In the end, the Broncos’ LB sided with Williams for two main reasons. He admitted that he’s biased as a defensive player himself, and second, the defensive tackle has simply been outstanding this year. While he also praised Pickens for his impressive development this season and called it “special,” Bonitto may be right about Williams’ impact.

With Quinnen, the Cowboys’ defense has allowed only 21.7 points per game and recorded a 43.9% pressure rate. That number drops to 22.0% without him. Williams has clearly been far more effective with the Cowboys. In just three games, he created 19 pressures, more than the 16 pressures he produced in eight games with the New York Jets.

So, the answer for Bonitto was Williams. However, that doesn’t change how crucial Pickens has been for Dallas. During wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s absence due to a high ankle sprain, Pickens became the go-to target for quarterback Dak Prescott.

In simple words, he is the next most explosive threat after Lamb. And that is why the Cowboys went after him in the offseason and are likely to keep him on the roster for the coming years.

Stephen Jones and the Cowboys are interested in keeping George Pickens in Dallas

The 24-year-old WR is in the final year of his rookie deal, and once he hits free agency, he’s expected to draw more lucrative offers from other teams. That’s why the Cowboys must secure a deal with Pickens now. While nothing is finalized yet, the higher-ups in the franchise have already publicly expressed their interest.

It starts with Stephen Jones. He wasn’t shy about admitting that he had heard the rumors and acknowledged there may be truth to them.

“Anyone watching him play knows what Jerry (Jones) and I want, it’s to get him signed,” said Jones. “Obviously, we have work to do there, but certainly George has just been an amazing pick-up for us, and he’s doing everything the right way, and certainly a guy that we’d like to have around here.”

Jerry Jones shares the same sentiment.

“We’ve got two number one receivers, and that’s just exceptional right at the time, guess what? Our quarterback is probably the best that he’s ever been. There’s more there.”

Interestingly, Spotrac says that Pickens is projected to earn a massive five-year, $153.7 million extension, averaging about $30.8 million annually. Once the Cowboys lock him in, they’ll have two best WRs on the roster alongside Lamb.