NFC East Draft Review

Dallas Cowboys
(24) Tyler Smith OL Tulsa
(56) Sam Williams DL Mississippi
(88) Jalen Tolbert WR South Alabama
(129) Jake Ferguson TE Wisconsin
(155) Matt Waletzko OL North Dakota
(167) DaRon Bland CB Fresno St.
(176) Damone Clark LB LSU
(178) John Ridgeway DT Arkansas
(193) Devin Harper LB Oklahoma St.

Immediate Impact: OG Tyler Smith
The Cowboys lost Connor Williams in free agency and they weren’t exactly teeming with talent on the interior of the offensive line. Enter Tyler Smith from Tulsa. He’s a small school prospect who played OT in college but he translates well to LG for them. He has the added bonus of being a guy who could move out to OT in a couple of years once Tyron Smith is done. For now, he starts next to Tyron Smith at LG.

Best Value: WR Jalen Tolbert
The Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper, they lost Cedric Wilson in free agency, and Michael Gallup is coming back from injury. It’s basically CeeDee Lamb or bust at this point for Dak Prescott. Tolbert isn’t going to wow anyone with routes but he’s faster than he looks and he can go get a deep ball. At this point he only has to beat out Steelers castoff James Washington and he’s basically getting starters snaps. That’s good value in round three.

Sleeper: DT John Ridgeway
The Cowboys took some guys with question marks, some on the field and some off. Ridgeway is a guy with one big answer, he’s a run stuffer in the middle. He’s 6’6 320 lbs. and brings the type of size the Cowboys don’t have at DT. I think he has a chance to make this roster and be big part of their run defense on first and second down.

Overall Analysis
Tyler Smith is a well-regarded prospect but he’s stepping up in competition so the transition could be a little bumpy. DE Sam Williams is an intriguing prospect with a whole lot of questions off the field. The Cowboys have said they thoroughly vetted him but call me skeptical given their history. He’s a talent but he may not be worth the headache. The Tolbert pick might end up being their best one next year, he can play. Jake Ferguson is the rare Wisconsin TE who doesn’t block but he gives them a nice backup pass catcher at the position. OT Matt Waletzko is a tall, lean guy who is going to need an NFL weight program to get his strength to a place where he can compete. He’s a solid bet on potential.

They spent their last four picks on some defensive players. CB DaRon Bland might seem like a longshot until you look at the Cowboys CB depth chart, he’s not their worst option. LB Damone Clark would have been taken earlier but he had spinal fusion surgery and there’s no guarantee he ever plays. He’s not going to play this season but they can hope he plays someday, he’s a talented guy. Ridgeway can play, he can make this team. Devin Harper might be a special team’s guy.

New York Giants
(5) Kayvon Thibodeaux OLB Oregon
(7) Evan Neal OT Alabama
(43) Wan’Dale Robinson WR Kentucky
(67) Joshua Ezeudu OL North Carolina
(81) Cordale Flott S LSU
(112) Daniel Bellinger TE San Diego St.
(114) Dane Belton S Iowa
(146) Micah McFadden LB Notre Dame
(147) DJ Davidson DL Arizona St.
(173) Marcus McKethan OL North Carolina
(182) Darrian Beavers LB Cincinnati

Immediate Impact: OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, OT Evan Neal
When your make two picks in the top seven you expect they will contribute right away, these two will. Thibodeaux is the kind of pass rusher they have been looking for since Michael Strahan basically. Thibodeaux has the talent to be one of the elite rushers in the NFL, as long as he stays focused on the football. He’ll start opposite Azeez Ojulari and the two of them can wreak havoc in Wink Martindale’s defense. Neal should be the RT to bookend with Andrew Thomas for the next decade. The offensive line has been a problem for years for the Giants but Neal is one huge solution, literally, he’s 6’7 350 lbs. Daniel Jones and the Giants can’t blame the offensive line for their ineptitude anymore

Best Value: S Dane Belton
This isn’t even a homer pick just because he comes from Iowa. Belton is a little underrated by draft analysts but NFL teams know better. Belton played a hybrid position at Iowa as a LB/S yet he still had five picks last year. He’s a good tackler, he’s good in coverage and he has excellent ball skills. He doesn’t have one elite trait; he has a lot of very good ones. He’s going to play for the Giants because he’s good and they need his help. They only had two safeties on the depth chart going into the draft and now Belton’s versatility means he can be the third guy and actually play. He can cover in the slot, he can cover a TE or RB, and he can come up and tackle.

Sleeper: OG Joshua Ezeudu
Third round guards don’t get talked about a lot but Ezeudu deserves a little credit. He played multiple positions on the UNC offensive line, sometimes different positions on the same drive. He should settle in at guard for the Giants and they need the help. They signed Mark Glowinski at RG but at center and LG they only have guys like Jon Feliciano, Max Garcia, and Shane Lemieux, it’s not a murderer’s row to compete with. If he’s starting by week six, I won’t be surprised.

Overall Analysis
I may not have liked Evan Neal as much as Ikem Ekwonu or even Charles Cross but he’s a legitimate starting NFL OT with upside to be a Pro Bowler eventually. He solves the RT spot quite well. Thibodeaux has his detractors but I think it’s overblown that he doesn’t care enough about football, the guy’s a star pass rusher when he rolls out of bed. I understand the Wan’Dale Robinson has some playmaking ability but taking him 43rd overall when there were plenty of other WRs on the board feels like a reach. He’s really undersized, he has short arms, and even if they dump Kadarius Toney, he’s at best, the fourth WR on the team. Maybe they like him as a RB but that’s an even bigger reach. Their two third round picks were Ezeudu and DB Cordale Flott. Flott is a CB/S hybrid who can be a big slot corner and can match up inside with anyone. If they can find a defined role for him, he’s a solid addition to a secondary that needs some help.

TE Daniel Bellinger is a project but with the exception of Ricky Seals-Jones, they don’t have much at the position. I like Belton, Belton is going to play for this team. They drafted two LBs in the fifth and sixth rounds, Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers. They’re depth pieces at best. DJ Davidson is a gigantic DT that might be able to help at NT and considering Justin Ellis will be 32 this year, he’s a solid addition. They also picked up another UNC offensive lineman Marcus McKethan, he’s a developmental guy at best.

Philadelphia Eagles
(13) Jordan Davis DT Georgia
(51) Cam Jurgens C Nebraska
(83) Nakobe Dean LB Georgia
(181) Kyron Johnson LB Kansas
(198) Grant Calcaterra TE SMU

Immediate Impact: WR AJ Brown, DT Jordan Davis
The Eagles traded one of their first-round picks to Tennessee for AJ Brown and signed him to a $100 million deal. It’s a lot of money but he’s a legitimate #1 WR to pair with Devonta Smith and they needed him. It means there’s no excuse for Jalen Hurts to struggle and they will find out if he’s their QB of the future or if they need to make a move next year for someone new. Davis is a beast at DT and he’s exactly what they need up front. A young, athletic freak to take the pressure off Fletcher Cox. He should be excellent in Philly.

Best Value: LB Nakobe Dean
Dean is an undersized LB with some injury concerns and that’s why he fell to the third round of the draft. I doubt either of those things will stop him from being an absolute menace on the Philly defense. He’s too good to not be a star. It’s possible his career doesn’t last as long as some guys because he might wear down, but he’s going to be a bright shining light for the next five years at least. He also gets to keep playing behind his personal protector Jordan Davis, that’s good for any LB.

Sleeper: TE Grant Calcaterra
They had a small draft class because of some trading so there’s not a lot of guys to choose from, so I’m picking Calcaterra. He once retired from football because of concussions and then transferred to SMU to restart his career. He has some nice skills and the Eagles don’t have a lot behind Dallas Goedert so he has a chance to stick around. If he stays healthy, he could be a solid addition.

Overall Analysis
The Eagles took the three first-round picks they started with and turned them into a move up for Jordan Davis, a first-round pick next year, and AJ Brown, that’s a good draft on its own. Then they drafted Cam Jurgens, the heir apparent to Jason Kelce, and stole Nakobe Dean in the third round. This draft weekend couldn’t have gone better unless someone in the draft room won the Powerball. Kyron Johnson is a speedy LB they could use in sub packages and I like Calcaterra. Good draft, all around.

Washington Commanders
(16) Jahan Dotson WR Penn St.
(47) Phidarian Mathis DT Alabama
(98) Brian Robinson Jr. RB Alabama
(113) Percy Butler S Louisiana
(144) Sam Howell QB North Carolina
(149) Cole Turner TE Nevada
(230) Chris Paul OL Tulsa
(240) Christian Holmes CB Oklahoma St.

Immediate Impact: WR Jahan Dotson, RB Brian Robinson Jr.
Dotson may have been drafted a bit too early but the run on WRs was in full force and the Commanders didn’t want to miss out. He isn’t the biggest WR you’ll find but he plays bigger and he’s used to making great catches. Dotson’s ability to reach out and grab a poorly thrown pass will come in handy with his new QB. Robinson isn’t one of the big name RBs in this draft but he is one of the big backs at 6’1 228 lbs. Washington has two smaller backs in Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic, Robinson will find a role as the guy between the tackles and in short yardage pretty quickly.

Best Value: QB Sam Howell
A year ago, Howell was in the conversation as one of the QBs to watch out for as the potential #1 pick in the 2022 draft. Well, they got him with the first pick alright, in the fifth round. Howell isn’t very big and he doesn’t have elite arm strength, however, he’s got guts and now he has a giant chip on his shoulder. Carson Wentz is far from a sure thing at QB and in 2020 when Howell actually had good talent around him at UNC, he was lights out. If Wentz falls apart, the Commanders would be wise to at least give Howell a shot and not just turn back to Taylor Heinicke.

Sleeper: Robinson
I said he’ll be the between the tackles and short yardage guy pretty quickly but he could be more than that. He’s a talented RB who runs hard, has patience, and they have no other back like him. I could see him becoming their starting tailback and them using Gibson differently. I like how he plays and with Wentz as their QB, they should run the ball more.

Overall Analysis
For now, forget the fact he went 16th overall, Dotson’s a player, he’ll be good. DT Phidarian Mathis was chosen not because of what he can be today but because he’s a great hedge against losing Da’Ron Payne when they can’t afford to pay him. Mathis was trained at Alabama just like Payne (and Johnathan Allen) and he will be ready to play when they need him. I like Robinson, that was a good pick. S Percy Butler has some holes in his game and he’s stepping up in competition but one look at the Washington secondary depth chart and I’m not counting him out.

Howell was well worth a fifth-round flyer and he could pay dividends sooner rather than later. Things have gone south with Wentz quickly on two different teams and I’m not sure Washington is the environment to bring out his best. TE Cole Turner is also a guy I would question until you look at the roster and see TE is basically Logan Thomas or bust, and Thomas has had some injury issues. Chris Paul isn’t the most famous Chris Paul and he’s wasn’t even the best offensive lineman from Tulsa, that was Tyler Smith who went in round one to Dallas. He’s got a long road ahead of him to make this team. CB Christian Holmes is a guy that lacks fluidity and likes to get handsy, that’s a tough combination to overcome.