The Las Vegas Raiders have traded defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Dallas Cowboys, providing the NFC contender with depth on the defensive line before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1.
Dallas sought reinforcements for its defense before Week 8, wanting to boost a unit that ranked 20th in the NFL against the run. While several marquee names like Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne have been floated in NFL trade rumors, Dallas lands a serviceable lineman at a relatively cheap cost
As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Hankins is on his way to Dallas and could join the team before its Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears. The official terms of the deal were provided by Tom Pelissero.
- Dallas Cowboys trade: 2023 sixth-round pick
- Las Vegas Raiders trade: Johnathan Hankins
Related: 3 trade targets to help Dallas Cowboys compete for a Super Bowl
Hankins, 6-foot-3 and 340 lbs., has played for the Raiders since 2018. The 30-year-old tackle signed with the franchise in Sep. 2018, playing in 66 games over the last five seasons. Before that, he spent one year with the Indianapolis Colts and four seasons with the New York Giants.
Las Vegas viewed him as expendable as the season went on. After playing at least 30 snaps in each of the Raider’s first two games, Hankins only played 12 snaps in Week 7 against the Houston Texans. Following the trade, Las Vegas will likely provide more playing time to Kendal Vickers and Neil Farrell Jr.
Related: Dallas Cowboys schedule
From the Cowboys’ perspective, Hankins will serve as rotational depth on the interior defensive line. Pro Football Focus grades him as a below-average defender against the run (53.2) and pass (52.6), but he is just two seasons removed from being one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the AFC.
He carries just a $747,644 million cap hit, per Spotrac, easily sliding into the Cowboys’ cap space. Considering Jerry Jones’ comments this past week, it might not be the only trade Dallas makes.
