Tag: philadelphia-eagles

2026 NFC East Preview

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles won the division last year and given the history of the NFC East that means they are unlikely to win it again, but they still look like the best team in the division.  Last year wasn’t great on offense with their offensive line going through injury issues and their OC seemingly in over his head.  Nick Siranni replaced his friend Kevin Patulo at OC with Sean Manninon, a guy who’s barely into his coaching career after a long career as a backup QB.  Mannion is an unknown commodity as a play caller, but he can’t be much worse than what they had.

It will be interesting to see Jalen Hurts fit into Sean Mannion’s offense given Mannion is coming from Green Bay and Hurts doesn’t feel like a great fit in that style.  The team also traded AJ Brown away and the best they can do to replace him is hope either Dontayvion Wicks, rookie Mekai Lemon, or free agent Hollywood Brown step into a prominent role.  DeVonta Smith is going to be the new WR1 in this offense and he’s definitely talented enough to be that guy.  It’s the group behind him that comes with questions.  Dallas Goedert returns at TE and they drafted Eli Stowers, a truly elite athlete who has been called “unplayable” at this point, that’s not good.  The passing game needs players to step up; the bigger question is whether Jalen Hurts can evolve as a QB and become the passer they need to make the offense work.

The offensive line was MASH unit last season, and it started with RT Lane Johnson and LG Landon Dickerson.  When healthy those two are two of the best at their positions in the league and the dropoff to their backups is severe.  LT Jordan Mailata had his worst year since he became a starter, and they are hoping he bounces back.  C Cam Juergens is good, but the jury is still out on RG Tyler Steen.  The biggest loss was offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.  He left because they are moving to a new system and he was having to take a backseat to the new offensive staff.  If the line has injury issues like last year or really misses Stoutland, things will go south quickly in Philly.   

RB Saquon Barkley did his best behind a bad offensive line and in an offense that wasn’t exactly hitting on all cylinders.  He had over 1100 yards but after his 2000-yard season a year earlier, it was a disappointing outcome.  He’s still one of the most talented runners in football and Sean Mannion should be focused on getting the most out of him.  Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are solid backups. 

The defensive front for the Eagles has some of the best talent in the league.  DT Jordan Davis stepped up last season when Jalen Carter was banged up and he played exceptionally well.  The Eagles gave Davis a new contract and now it’s Carter’s turn to come back from his injury and show how great he can be.  They gave Carter a new contract just before training camp and now he needs to stay healthy and show why he deserved it.  Moro Ojomo stepped in for Milton Williams last season and played pretty well. Those three up front can be a dominate group. 

The LB group can be great.  ILB Zack Baun has been fantastic in Vic Fangio’s defense being used in many different ways.  Jihad Campbell joins him as a full-time starter in year two and he’s another versatile LB who can be used all over the formation by Fangio.  The team traded for Jonathan Greenard after losing Jaelen Phillips in free agency.  Greenard was banged up last year but he’s very good when healthy.  Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. are two younger edge rushers the Eagles will be counting on opposite Greenard.  Both are talented players who fill specific roles. 

CB Quinyon Mitchell is emerging as one of the best in the game and they decided to get him some help, or at least they hope they got help.  The other outside CB spot was a sore spot last year and they signed Riq Woolen to take the job.  If he can hold it down, it allows Cooper DeJean to go back to being the nickel corner and this year the team plans on DeJean being a safety when they aren’t playing nickel.  Marcus Epps and Andrew Makuba will be the other safeties the team uses.  The team hopes with Mitchell, Woolen, and DeJean they can cover for any deficiencies they have at the other spots in the secondary. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys offense was fantastic last season under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer and first-time offensive coordinator Klayton Adams.  On the other hand, the defense was atrocious and that’s why the team’s record wasn’t very good.  Schottenheimer brought in Christian Parker from the Eagles to fix the defense and they made some significant moves on that side of the ball. 

The offense didn’t make any significant changes.  They franchise tagged WR George Pickens to be sure he returned and re-signed RB Javonte Williams.  Dak Prescott is the engine of the offense and passing game should be a top unit again this season.  Prescott and Schottenheimer seem to be a good partnership, and OC Klayton Adams has done an excellent job. 

Pickens was fantastic last season and was actually more productive than CeeDee Lamb.  The team isn’t looking to invest long-term in Pickens given his history but having him back this year is essential.  Lamb missed some time last year and didn’t quite seem himself but he’s being paid like a WR1 and they should feature him again as long as he has no lingering issues. The passing game sets up everything for this team.  TE Jake Ferguson is also a good weapon for Prescott, and they should continue to thrive with these guys back together. 

The offense line still has some issues to sort out with LT Tyler Guyton and C Cooper Beebe having some injury issues.  However, LG Tyler Smith is excellent, RT Terrence Steele bounced back a bit last year, and RG Tyler Booker was solid as a rookie.  If the team can get the offensive line all playing together, the offense can be even better.  They did trade for OT Broderick Jones from Pittsburgh, a former first-round pick, and he’s going to compete with Steele for the RT job.  They also signed OT Wayna Morris who was cut by Atlanta as insurance, clearly, they aren’t sold on their OTs.

 Javonte Williams resurrected his career after it was left for dead when he was in Denver.  He carried the load for the team, and he still doesn’t have much help behind him.  Williams has always been a talented player; in Dallas he is getting to showcase it.  Second-year man Jaydon Blue was supposed to be the backup, but they cut him after camp, it was a bit of a surprise.  They picked up Emari Demarcado who was cut by Kansas City, he’s a solid player but this is Williams’ job all the way. 

While the offense didn’t need any outside help, the defense needed new blood at every level.  Christian Parker studied under Vic Fangio for the last few years, and he knew he needed better players than the Cowboys had.  Up front, the team traded for DT Kenny Clark before last season (the Micah Parsons deal), then traded for DT Quinnen Williams during the season, and signed Otito Ogbonnia in free agency.  Clark is getting older but he’s still better than they had.  Williams is still one of the better DTs in the league and Ogbonnia is a young DT who is still developing.  These guys are an upgrade overall for the Cowboys. 

They also traded for Rashan Gary as a new edge rusher.  He hasn’t been as effective the last few years but he’s better than some of the guys the Cowboys have been using.  Donovan Ezeiruaku had a good rookie season, but he had off season hip surgery so there is some question as to what he’ll look like this year.  He’s an undersized edge rusher and if his speed or flexibility are compromised by his hip issue it could hurt his play.   Rookie Malachi Lawrence and an aging Von Miller are the depth so Gary and Ezeiruaku need to be good. At ILB the Cowboys traded for Dee Winters and are hoping DeMarvion Overshown will finally be healthy.  The ILB spot is going to be an interesting one for this defense. 

The secondary has had a major overhaul.  At CB, Colbie Durant will be one of the starting CBs, and the Cowboys hope DaRon Bland is the other, he’s had some injury issues.  At safety, they signed Jalen Thompson in free agency and drafted Caleb Downs in round one.  Downs is penciled in as the nickel for now but he’s too good to take off the field meaning there should be some three safety sets for this defense.  Thompson and Downs should join Malik Hooker on the field plenty.  Bland needs to rebound from a down year and Durant needs to be better otherwise the pass defense is going to suffer.  The depth comes from Shavon Revel Jr. who is a talented player without much playing time and probably rookie Devin Moore, once they bring him off IR. 

Washington Commanders

Everything went off the rails for the Commanders last season after making the NFC Championship game the year before.  It started with Jayden Daniels getting injured and the season went downhill from there.  Dan Quinn saw the writing on the wall, and he replaced both his offensive and defensive coordinators.  It was probably the right thing to do but he replaced them with two guys who have never called plays on either side of the ball.  OC David Blough is young, and they hope he’s one of the smart ones.  DC Daronte Jones comes from Brian Flores’ staff in Minnesota; they need him to have a Flores-like effect on the defense. 

David Blough’s job will be a lot easier if he can keep Daniels on the field, that’s easier said than done.  Daniels is a supreme athlete but he’s also way too skinny to be taking the type of hits he takes on a regular basis.  Daniels has to look out for himself better and realize how important he is to the offense.  This offense only goes as far as he takes them, he can’t take them anywhere from the sidelines. 

The offensive line was actually pretty good but now they have Nick Allegretti replacing Tyler Biadasz at center and Allegretti is a 30-year-old guy who’s never started at center before.  He also missed a lot of training camp with an injury.  Biadasz wasn’t a superstar, but he is a good center. LT Laremy Tunsil was fantastic last season, but he tore his triceps and will miss most of the year.  Former starter, Brandon Coleman, steps back into LT and there’s a reason they replaced him at that position.  RT Josh Conerly Jr. had his growing pains as a rookie last season, but he should continue to develop.  RG Sam Cosmi is solid, and LG Chris Paul was fine last year. 

The skill positions leave something to be desired.  WR Terry McLaurin was a shell of himself last year dealing with injuries and they need him healthy and playing his best or this gets ugly fast.  Treylon Burks was going to be the other starter, but the team wisely signed Stefon Diggs and he should be an excellent WR2 as long as McLaurin can return to form.  He wasn’t flashy for the Patriots last season, but he was reliable and he’s always been that for young QBs. Rookie Antonio Williams is the third WR and will play in the slot, but that’s also a spot Diggs plays well from. At TE they signed Chig Okonkwo from Tennessee, he’s probably their third-best pass catcher at this point. 

At RB, Jacory Croskey-Merritt won the starting job out of camp, and they have high hopes for him.  He’s not the most talented player but he gives them a nice skill set to use.  Rachaad White is the backup, he’s a pass catching back who’s solid on third down.  Rooke Kaytron Allen is a guy I would watch out for; he’s a lead back type of player.  He can handle a heavy workload and at the very least, he’s the short yardage back for now. 

The offense definitely has some holes and that’s because the Commanders spent most of the off season overhauling their defense, that was a good idea.  They were awful last season, and they return very few starters and most of the ones they do will have competition.  Up front they return Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne, but Tim Settle will likely be the other starter.  Johnny Newton starts the year on IR; he could be an important piece if he ever puts it all together. 

They completely overhauled the LB corps and will play more of a 3-4 so there’s lots of new faces at this level.  On the inside, they drafted Sonny Styles in round one and he’s an immediate starter and it’s going to be his defense to run.  Leo Chenal was also signed, and he’ll give Frankie Luvu some competition.  On the edge they gave Odafe Oweh a big contract and signed K’Lavon Chaisson, who played well in New England last year.  They might actually have a rotation of pass rushers this year once Dorace Armstrong returns from his one-game suspension. 

Rasul Douglas steps in at CB with Trey Amos starting the year on IR.  Amos was injured last year too so they will make do.  Mike Sanristil, who plays wherever they need him to and does fine, will be the other outside CB.  They signed Amik Robertson to give them some depth, that’s a solid move.  Nick Cross joins Jeremy Reeves and Quan Martin to form a fairly benign safety group.  Benign would be an upgrade over being bad again.  There is no way to know how this defense is going to be this season.  A new coordinator with a whole host of new players means anything is possible. 

New York Giants

The Giants were terrible last year and Brian Daboll tried desperately to save his job by running QB Jaxson Dart into the ground, it didn’t work.  Enter John Harbaugh off his firing from Baltimore.  Harbaugh is a long-time NFL coach with a lot of success, but he made his way up the ranks as a special team’s coach meaning he needs a great staff.  On the defensive side he hired Dennard Wilson, who coached with him in Baltimore before becoming the Titans defensive coordinator.  Hard to tell how good of a coordinator he was given the lack of talent in Tennessee, he should have more talent in New York.  On offense it’s a mis-mash of underperforming former OCs.  Matt Nagy wasn’t re-signed by Kansas City, he’s the new OC.  Greg Roman was fired by Jim Harbaugh, so John Harbaugh hired him after he once fired him in Baltimore, he’s the Senior Offensive analyst.  Brian Callahan was fired as the Titans head coach last season, he was once the OC in Cincinnati (although he never called plays), he’s the Passing Game Coordinator/QB coach.  It’s a less than inspiring group on offense and there isn’t a clear-cut scheme fit between the three new minds.  The offense should be an adventure.

Jaxson Dart showed plenty of promise last season when he wasn’t being run headfirst in a brick wall.  The offensive scheme has to find a way to take advantage of his impressive physical skills, including his running, and yet, not get him killed.  Dart isn’t the dynamic speed athlete that Jayden Daniels is but a 6’2 223 lbs. he’s definitely built to take hits better than Daniels is in Washington.  That still shouldn’t be the primary way to use him, and teaching him how to avoid taking big hits, instead of seeking them out, should be priority #1 for QB coach Brian Callahan. 

Dart has the arm to be a good passer but much of the success of the Giants’ passing game is going to rest on the rehabilitated knee of Malik Nabers.  Nabers missed almost all of last season with a bad knee injury but when healthy, he’s one of the most electric playmakers in the league.  This team needs him because the other starters are rookie Malachi Fields and veteran Darnell Mooney.  Darius Slayton has been demoted to a backup role, and the fifth WR is Odell Beckham Jr. coming back from a couple of years out of football.  The second-best pass catcher on this team should be Isaiah Likely, who followed Harbaugh from Baltimore.  He’s a TE with incredible athleticism who never quite dominated in Baltimore like his physical abilities would lead you to believe.  They need to unlock him in New York.  Theo Johnson is another athletic TE they need to use better. 

The offensive line was a problem for a long time, but it has gotten better the past few years.  If LT Andrew Thomas can stay healthy, he’s one of the better LTs in football.  RT Jermaine Eluemunor earned a new contract this off season, he’s a solid RT.  They drafted Francis Mauigoa in the top ten of the draft and he’ll start at RG, he’s an upgrade.  C John Michael Schmitz and Jon Runyan aren’t being named to Pro Bowls, but they are solid veteran starters.  

The running game got to see flashes of Cam Skattebo before he broke his leg last year.  I’m not sure if he’s a true difference maker at RB, his style may mean he gets banged up a lot.  Tyrone Tracy is a solid rotational player and does just fine when he has to start.  They also signed Najee Harris as Skattebo insurance, he’s fine but he’s coming off his own injury issues.  The running game will be better with a healthy offensive line (Thomas) and an ass kicker at RG (Mauigoa). 

The defense last season was an example of the whole being LESS than the sum of its parts.  Any defensive line that had DT Dexter Lawrence, DE Brian Burns, along with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter had no business being as bad as it was.  It’s tough to imagine a team trading Lawrence and getting better up front but Dennard Wilson will institute a scheme change that should help the players they do have play better.  They signed DJ Reader to be the NT, and they hope veteran Shelby Harris can be a stabilizer.  They also are looking to get better play from second-year DT Darius Alexander who had a rough rookie season.  Wilson comes from the Baltimore defensive system and should have some ideas to improve this unit. 

The LB group gets an overhaul as the 3-4 Baltimore style takes over.  Burns and Carter become the outside edge rushers with Thibodeaux as the third rusher, that doesn’t change personnel at all but the way they are asked to play will be different.  The personnel changes come at ILB.  Tremaine Edmunds was signed as a free agent after he was cut by Chicago for salary cap purposes.  He’ll pair with rookie Arvell Reese to form a far more dynamic duo with athleticism, length, and speed that was missing from the LB group last year.  Reese will likely be used as a blitzer at times too but he’s a serious upgrade at ILB, even as a rookie. 

The secondary has a chance to be a real strength of this group with Wilson being a secondary coach by nature and the Baltimore system being one that uses defensive backs quite well.  CB Paulson Adebo, S Tyler Nubin, S Jevon Holland, and nickelback Dru Phillips all return.  These are all solid players who will benefit from a better scheme.  Greg Newsome was signed to start as the other CB outside and he’s an upgrade over Deonte Banks who should be fighting for a spot on the roster, not starting.  They signed Ar’Darius Washington, a former Baltimore safety who can play nickel, he’s a talent add.  Rookie CB Colton Hood is a big, athletic CB who could push Adebo and Newsome if they faulter at all.  Outside the talent at edge rusher, this secondary can be the strength of this team. 

2025 NFC East Preview

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles lost OC Kellen Moore off their staff that just won the Super Bowl and that probably didn’t come as a shock considering Moore’s name had been out there a while.  Kevin Patullo steps in after being their passing game coordinator for the past several years and they still employ Jeff Stoutland, the best o-line coach in football, who is also their run game coordinator.  Patullo will call plays for the first time so there could be an adjustment period.  DC Vic Fangio returns to head up the Eagles defense which was the best in football last year. 

The offense will once again be in the capable hands of QB Jalen Hurts.  Hurts isn’t considered to be in the same class as the elite level of QBs in the league, but he’s only one step down.  His skills have been maximized by the Eagles staff and that’s Patullo’s job now.  Hurts plays with one of the best WR duos in football; AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.  Brown is a legitimate WR1 and Smith is essentially a 1B.  As long as those two are healthy, so is the passing game.  Jahan Dotson is WR3 and he’s not great but he’s fine.  TE Dallas Goedert is as solid as they come and knows the offense quite well.  They could really use another WR to step up and they made a late trade for John Metchie III from the Texans who has some promise and they also signed Javon Baker from the Patriots to their practice squad.  Baker has talent, he could be a solid developmental player. 

Everything on this team starts up front with the best line in football, you can thank Stoutland for that being the case every year.  LT Jordan Mailata was a seventh-round afterthought who Stoutland turned into a Pro Bowl player.  LG Landon Dickerson and C Cam Juergens are fantastic inside, two of the best.  Unfortunately Dickerson has an injury they aren’t talking much about so they hope he’s fine early in the season.  RG will most likely be taken over by Tyler Steen who was a mid-round pick a couple of years ago they have been developing.  RT Lane Johnson is 35 and is still probably the best RT in football.  The offensive line is excellent and the run game is even better because they have the best back in football, Saquon Barkley.  Barkley has always been an exceptionally talented back but when you put him behind the Eagles o-line and alongside a QB who’s the running threat Jalen Hurts is, things get scary for the rest of the league.  This offense should keep humming unless Patullo is a complete dud as a play caller. 

Fangio came in last season and turned the Eagles defense into a monster.  It wasn’t just about his scheme, they have great players at every level, but he got the most out of everyone.  It all starts up front with DT Jalen Carter, who should be on the short list for Defensive Player of the Year.  He’s a complete game wrecker up front and teams struggle to handle him.  Jordan Davis is the NT and he’s a behemoth who knows how to occupy blockers and keep the guys behind him clean.  The big change will be Moro Ojomo stepping in for Milton Williams who moved on in free agency. They like Ojomo and I’m not going to doubt Fangio will figure it out up front. 

The LB corps was outstanding last season and might get better if some young guys step up.  Zack Baun came over from New Orleans last year and Fangio unleashed him and he was a star.  He has a variety of skills both as a LB at the second level and especially as a pass rusher.  He paired with Nakobe Dean inside but Dean is rehabbing a bad injury from last season so it should be rookie Jihaad Campbell next to Baun.  The scary part is Campbell has a higher upside than Dean because he has the same type of versatility as Baun.  OLB Nolan Smith had a solid year and they are hoping second-year man Jalyx Hunt takes over the other spot.  They lost some players and some depth at OLB so they signed Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari, both of those guys can contribute. 

The secondary got a makeover last year when CB Quinyon Mitchell, S CJ Gardner-Johnson and nickel back Cooper DeJean took over three important spots there.  Now, there’s some more turnover as Kelee Ringo was supposed to step in for Darius Slay at CB opposite Mitchell and they need to settle on a starter opposite Reed Blankenship at safety.  Ringo was so underwhelming in camp the team has looked to Adoree’ Jackson to step in and traded for Jakorian Bennett.  It might be rookie Andrew Mukuba or it could be Sydney Brown coming off an injury.  They are so desperately looking for answers they signed Patriots castoff Marcus Epps to their practice squad, he played for them a few years ago.  They are working with DeJean at safety a bit because they don’t want him to simply be the nickel back because they want him on the field more than that.  They may want to work him out at outside CB in case their other options fail.  Mitchell was so good as a rookie teams are going to avoid him. 

Washington Commanders

Dan Quinn did a great job with this team last season using a rookie QB, a skill position group that overperformed, and a defense that wasn’t that great.  They upgraded the o-line, maybe helped the WR group, and definitely improved the CBs.  It’s up to OC Kliff Kingsbury and DC Joe Whitt Jr. (with Quinn on defense), to get the whole to be more than the sum of its parts again. 

QB Jayden Daniels was electric and Kingsbury made the offense work with what they had.  The passing offense was largely about WR Terry McLaurin and TE Zach Ertz.  Ertz is back and while he’s not getting any younger, he’s still effective.  McLaurin finally got the new contract he wanted so he should be good to go.  He earned it last season and he’s been a good soldier for a long time playing with some bad QBs in Washington.  They traded for Deebo Samuel in the off season but he’s certainly not a WR1 at this point and I’m not sure he’s a great WR2.  They tried bringing Michael Gallup out of retirement, they cut him at the end of camp.  Noah Brown is injured which leaves them with rookie Jaylin Lane and second-year man Luke McCaffrey after McLaurin and Samuel, no one should feel good about that. 

The running game had Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler last season and they traded Robinson to San Francisco before the season.  They are counting on rookie seventh-rounder Jacory “Bill” Crosky-Merritt.  They are putting a whole lot of faith in Crosky-Merritt and they also like Chris Rodriguez.  Ekeler is an aging player they really need to use sparingly.  The place they are hoping their upgrades really help is the offensive line.  Brandon Coleman held his own at LT last season but they traded for Laremy Tunsil and he should be better.  That means Coleman moves to guard because they also drafted Josh Conerly Jr. who should take over at RT.  If Sam Cosmi returns from injury at RG, Coleman slots in at LG with Tyler Biadasz at center, that’s a solid line.  They also still have OG Nick Allegretti and T/G Andrew Wylie, who were starters last year, as depth.  They line should give them a solid foundation on offense but it all centers on Daniels.  Development isn’t linear so it’s not a guarantee he plays better and he is still going to shoulder most of the load but he’s a dynamic player. 

Dan Quinn and his DC Joe Whitt Jr. did everything they could with the defense they had last year and it was enough to get to the NFC Championship game, now they have to do it again.  Up front, they lost Jonathan Allen and Dante Fowler Jr. and are replacing them with Javon Kinlaw and Von Miller.  Miller hasn’t been healthy much lately and Kinlaw is a downgrade from Allen.  Allen wasn’t healthy last season but Kinlaw still isn’t better.  Perhaps, Jer’Zhan Newton will step up next to Daron Payne inside at DT.  Dorace Armstrong is the other DE starter but they are going to need Deatrich Wise to give them some help on the edge. 

At LB, Bobby Wagner continues to fight off father time and they need him to do it again.  He and Frankie Luvu are the starters at LB and there is no depth to speak of behind them.  They want to play five DBs and they did add some guys to help.  They traded for CB Marshon Lattimore last season and then he was hurt a lot, they need him healthy.  Mike Sanristil stepped up at outside CB but he’s such a good nickel player they want to move him back to that so they drafted Trey Amos in round two.  He can be a starter on the outside but they also signed Jonathan Jones to give them depth and still have Noah Igbinoghene who wasn’t bad last year. The CB group is better this year.  FS Quan Martin returns and he’s solid but Will Harris is the SS for now and that’s not great. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys fired Mike McCarthy after last season and inexplicably replaced him with long-time NFL assistant coach Brian Schottenheimer.  He’s been an OC many times, most recently for McCarthy in Dallas last year.  It’s an uninspired choice but Jerry Jones has been hiring placeholder coaches since Bill Parcells left.  Bringing in Klayton Adams as the OC was smart, he was a good run game designer in Arizona.  Matt Eberflus comes to run the defense and that is something he has been good at for a long time, Jerry Jones just made that a lot harder. 

The offense is going to heavily rely on QB Dak Prescott and he’s used to being that guy, it’s been a while since they had a dominant ground game.  Luckily for him, they finally went out and got a WR to help CeeDee Lamb when they traded for George Pickens.  Pickens is a talented outside WR who comes with a reputation for not always keeping his head on straight.  He’s in a contract year, so he has every incentive to be on his best behavior.  Playing with Dak Prescott should be good for Pickens because he’s the best QB Pickens has played with in his career.  CeeDee Lamb is one of the top 3 WRs in the football so he’s still going to get the bulk of the targets but Pickens takes pressure off Lamb and Lamb takes the focus off Pickens.  If they play this right, they both benefit and Prescott benefits the most.  TE Jake Ferguson is the next best pass catcher and he’s solid.  He just got a new contract so they have expectations for him. 

The running game doesn’t look good on paper.  The offensive line is young, and at the moment, a little beat up.  LT Tyler Guyton is going into year two and he’s already dealing with an injury and he needs the reps to get better.  They had signed OG Robert Jones to compete at RG and he’s out with a neck injury meaning first-round pick Tyler Booker is the starter at RG, he’s struggled a bit out of the gate.  If Guyton misses time, they probably move LG Tyler Smith to LT and insert Brock Hoffman at LG meaning it weakens them inside.  If Hoffman and Booker are the starting guards it puts more pressure on second year center Cooper Beebe.  Beebe had a nice rookie year but it’s asking a lot.  RT Terrance Steele is no sure thing either, he’s struggled for a couple years now.  At RB, they signed Javonte Williams from Denver and Miles Sanders from Carolina.  Williams hasn’t been himself since his major knee injury a couple of years ago and Sanders has never been the same player he was when he was running behind the Eagles offensive line.  Sanders also happens to be banged up to start the year. Rookie RB Jaydon Blue can bring them some speed but he’s not an every down back. 

The defense had a chance to be okay under Matt Eberflus and then Jerry Jones decided to go crazy and trade Micah Parsons to the Packers.  This is one of the most inexplicable decisions in football history.  Parsons is 26 years old and one of the three best pass rushers in football and Jones traded him for two first round picks and Kenny Clark.  Don’t get me wrong, DT Kenny Clark is an upgrade over Mazi Smith but he’s 29 and the downgrade at edge rusher far out weights the upgrade at DT. Jerry Jones has officially lost his mind, this is a mistake on the level of firing Jimmy Johnson after winning two Super Bowls.  It’s been 30 years since the Cowboys sniffed the Super Bowl with all the guys Jimmy Johnson drafted and coached, Jones may have just set the Cowboys back another 30 years.

As for who they do have, they brought back Dante Fowler Jr. after his year in Washington, mostly to replace Demarcus Lawrence.  They also have Sam Williams coming off an injury, Marshon Kneeland in his second year, they also signed veteran Payton Turner and drafted Donovan Ezeiruaku.  That’s a lot of guys who aren’t Parsons and won’t be Parsons.  At DT, they still have Mazi Smith who has been bad and was already losing snaps in training camp to Perrion Winfrey, a former Browns draft bust.  That’s not a good sign.  He’s replaced by Kenny Clark.  Osa Odighizuwa is a good DT and he will appreciate having Clark next to him instead of Smith.  They have veteran Solomon Thomas and rookie seventh rounder Jay Toia, it’s not a terrible group but these guys just got handed a way worse hand to play all season. 

At LB the team signed Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray, Sanborn was a backup in Chicago and he knows Eberflus’ defense. Murray has been just good enough to stay on teams he’s been on but usually bad enough his team is looking to replace him.  The Cowboys hope DeMarvion Overshown can come back from a bad injury this year and that Marist Liufau can really take a step.  Murray and Liufau are listed as the starters, Sanborn will play plenty. 

The secondary could be good if the guys get healthy but right now CBs Trevon Diggs is coming back from a knee injury and Shavon Revel Jr. is out to start the season.  DaRon Bland wasn’t as good last season as the year before but he’s the best CB they have at the moment.  He’s slated to be the nickel guy again as they are planning on using former Bills first-round bust Kaiir Elam opposite Diggs.  With a seriously weakened pass rush, this secondary could be exposed badly.    Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson are as solid safety duo.

New York Giants

GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are getting one last shot to turn around the Giants and this time they aren’t trying to do it with Daniel Jones at QB. I’m not sure hitching their wagon to Russell Wilson is a great idea but that’s where they’re at.  They drafted Jaxon Dart in round one of the draft with the idea he would sit for the year.  After the preseason he had, those plans have to be out the window.  As soon as it looks like Wilson is cooked and the season is about to be lost, you’ll see Dart.   

Wilson is a shell of who he used to be but he might still have the skill to take advantage of WR Malik Nabers considerable talent.  Nabers is a big play WR and Wilson can still throw the deep the ball.  Once it’s not working or they see Wilson doesn’t have the deep ball left, Daboll will play Dart just to save his own job.  If Wilson is bad, they have to pin their hopes on Dart’s potential as soon as possible.  The team did re-sign WR Darius Slayton after years of seemingly trying to get rid of him.  They also have Wan’Dale Robinson as the slot guy.  It doesn’t feel like it but this group isn’t bad and with the right QB, could be fine.  Nabers is a legitimate WR1 and the others fill their roles.  TE Theo Johnson is a young player they hope takes a step forward and Daniel Bellinger is a decent backup. 

The running game found a gem in last year’s fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. who had a solid 4.4 yards per rush even behind a poor offensive line.  They still have Devin Singletary and they drafted Cam Skattebo so the talent is fine at RB.  The offensive line is another story.  LT Andrew Thomas is awesome when healthy but he’s sitting out training camp rehabbing a foot injury and they are hoping he’s ready for the regular season.  He’s by far their best lineman so if he’s out, it’s a problem.  Jon Runyan is solid at LG but not great.  John Micheal Schmitz is okay at center but he really needs to step up.  Greg Van Roten is a veteran at RG who they should be looking to replace with an upgrade.  RT Jermaine Eluemunor would be the ideal upgrade at RG but they don’t have anyone else at RT so he stays there. 

The Giants have one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL in NT Dexter Lawrence.  Lawrence had nine sacks from the interior position last season; he’s a dominant force. They have two aging players up front with him in veterans Roy Robertson-Harris and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, both 32.  They drafted Darius Alexander to give them some depth and some youth.  Besides Lawrence their pass rush should be outstanding with OLBs Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.  Burns and Thibodeaux were the starters last season but Carter was the fourth pick in the draft for a reason and he should replace Thibodeaux.  Either way, the pass rush for the Giants should be outstanding.  Burns isn’t an elite level outside pass rusher but he’s good and matched with all these guys up front, he can be very good.  The ILB duo of Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden aren’t mentioned with the best in the league but they are a solid duo.

The secondary also got some upgrades this off season but they came in free agency. CB Paulson Adebo was signed to give them a solid outside CB to pair with Deonte Banks.  Banks had a rough year last year but the team isn’t ready to give up on him yet.  Dru Phillips had an excellent season as a rookie in the slot and getting Adebo allows them to leave him inside where he excels, assuming Banks can rebound.  They signed Javon Holland to pair with Tyler Nubin at safety after Nubin had a solid rookie year but the FS spot was a problem.  A year ago, they let Xavier McKinney leave in free agency and then spent the year regretting it so they signed Holland to fill the hole.  Holland and Nubin should be a good, active and athletic pair on the back end.          

2025 NFC East Draft Review

Dallas Cowboys

(12) Tyler Booker OG Alabama
(44) Donovan Ezeiruaku Edge Boston College
(76) Shavon Revel Jr. CB East Carolina
(149) Jaydon Blue RB Texas
(152) Shemar James LB Florida
(204) Ajani Cornelius OL Oregon
(217) Jay Toia DT UCLA
(239) Phil Mafah RB Clemson
(247) Tommy Akingbesote DT Maryland

Immediate Impact: RG Tyler Booker, CB Shavon Revel Jr.

The Cowboys lost Zack Martin to retirement and immediately drafted his replacement in Booker. Booker isn’t an impressive athlete but he’s a very good guard. He will maul people to death in the interior and while he may never be what Martin was at his peak, he may be an upgrade over what the aging Martin has been recently. Revel is coming off an ACL tear so maybe this is ambitious but he’s easily one of three best CBs on this team immediately. With DaRon Bland’s ability to play inside or outside, Revel could get on the field quickly.

Best Value: CB Shavon Revel Jr.

If Revel is healthy, he has starter quality ability right now and his ceiling is being a CB1 in the league. The team has Bland and Trevon Diggs so they won’t ask him to be that now but the potential is there. Getting him in round three is highway robbery.

Sleeper: DT Jay Toia

Toia was a seventh-round pick but he can be everything Mazi Smith isn’t, namely, a run stuffing DT who actually stops the run. Smith has been a disappointment and has never been a run stuffer. Toia doesn’t bring much else in terms of pocket pressure, but he doesn’t get moved in run defense. It’s strange to think a seventh-round pick could put a former first-round pick on notice but Smith should be looking over his shoulder.

Overall Analysis

Jerry Jones talks a big game when it comes to being the GM of the Cowboys but everyone knows Will McClay runs the draft for Dallas and he’s excellent at it. He could have gone for the shiny toy in WR Matthew Golden but he made sure the offensive line was taken care of first. Booker is not a sexy pick, he’s downright boring, but he’s an above average starter for the next decade with the possibility of being a Pro Bowler.

The next two picks were excellent value picks they couldn’t pass up. DE Donovan Ezeiruaku got some first round buzz but he was always more of a second-round guy. He’s an affective pass rusher even if he’s a little undersized. The Cowboys have bodies at the position after signing veterans like Dante Fowler Jr and Payton Turner to go with Sam Williams. They have their star in Micah Parsons but Ezeiruaku gives them another guy with a higher ceiling than those veterans. CB Shavon Revel Jr. is coming off an ACL tear but that shouldn’t stop him from reaching his potential, which is immense. He was a steal in round three.

RB Jaydon Blue is nice addition as he gives the team a big play threat at the position. Javonte Williams should be the main back but he doesn’t have the speed Blue brings. LB Shemar James is a small LB with speed. For a team that has gone through its fair share of LB injuries over the years, James isn’t a bad investment. He probably has to be a special team’s ace to make the roster.

OL Ajani Cornelius is a solid bet on a late prospect. He isn’t nearly the prospect his teammate Josh Conerly Jr. was but he’s a good backup for now. He did play RT at Oregon so if Terence Steele doesn’t bounce back, he may be an option there. I wrote about Toia; he has a chance to be a guy for this team. RB Phil Mafah is the big body that Blue isn’t, if Mafah is good, Miles Sanders may not make this roster. The last pick is another DT but Tommy Akingbesote is probably just a practice squad guy.

Nitpick or Concern: Where’s the help at WR? I completely understand taking Booker over Golden, I wasn’t Golden’s biggest fan. Even Ezeiruaku and Revel were too good of value to pass on for WRs but this team had nine picks and not one WR was taken. The pick at 152 where they took Shemar James, there were still a couple of WRs I liked there, Tory Horton and KeAndre Lambert-Smith for example. I know Jerry Jones talked about getting a veteran but is planning to trade for George Pickens, that won’t be cheap, he’s up for a new contract soon. Maybe he can trade for Kendrick Bourne from the Patriots.

New York Giants

(3) Abdul Carter Edge Penn St.
(25) Jaxson Dart QB Ole Miss
(65) Darius Alexander DT Toledo
(105) Cam Skattebo RB Arizona St.
(154) Marcus Mbow OL Purdue
(219) Thomas Fidone II TE Nebraska
(246) Korie Black CB Oklahoma St.

Immediate Impact: Edge Abdul Carter, DT Darius Alexander

The defensive front has some good pieces to start with but Abdul Carter is going to be too good to keep off the field. There’s a legitimate chance he supplants Kayvon Thibodeaux as a starter early in the year. Darius Alexander is a small school guy coming from Toledo but he showed at the Senior Bowl, he can hang with the big boys. The Giants don’t have a lot of great options next to Dexter Lawrence inside, Alexander has a pretty clear path to playing time.

Best Value: DT Darius Alexander

He has a legitimate shot to be the starting DT in week one and they got him with the first pick of round three, that’s a steal.

Sleeper: OL Marcus Mbow

Mbow was an OT in college who most have moving to OG in the NFL and I can see that. There has also been some talk he could end up a center, either way, he’s a good player to get in round five. I think he could give you solid snaps at RT in a pinch and all that versatility makes him a valuable asset. He could also just end up taking the RG job from Greg Van Roten immediately.

Overall Analysis

The Giants did the right thing by taking Abdul Carter with the third pick even though pass rusher wasn’t a big need for them. Carter could be a special player at a premium position and you can’t pass that up. Then they made their big move later in round one coming up from their early second round pick to take QB Jaxson Dart. They are going to take some heat as not everyone is a Dart fan, and I’m not his biggest fan either. However, they only traded two third round picks to move up nine spots to get a QB. That’s a pretty modest trade price to get a potential future QB. Dart isn’t going to play right away with Russell Wilson and Jamies Winston on the roster but it will push him to be his best. If he can earn some playing time it will be because he deserves it, not because he was a first-round pick.

The Darius Alexander pick was fantastic value and fills a big need. I’m admittedly not a Cam Skattebo guy but he’s a good fit here. They have Tyrone Tracy who had a good year last year and Skattebo is the perfect complement to him. Tracy is a slasher who likes to get outside and use his speed, Skattebo will pound it inside and get the tough yards between the tackles. Love the Mbow selection in round five, truly great value. TE Thomas Fidone II looks the part of a top TE but wasn’t usually healthy enough to play like it. Maybe he has better luck in the NFL. For a team that probably needed a little more help in the secondary, I’m not sure seventh rounder Korie Black is all I would have done there.

Nitpick or Concern: Where is the help for the offense? This team wasn’t exactly a juggernaut last season and the only change to the starting offense is swapping in QB Russell Wilson, presumably until Dart is ready. Malik Nabers was great as a rookie and Tracy was very good at RB but you didn’t add any playmakers at all. They maybe got a new RG if Mbow beats our Greg Van Roten but that’s not a sure thing. They needed more offensive help.

Philadelphia Eagles

(31) Jihaad Campbell LB Alabama
(64) Andrew Mukuba S Texas
(111) Ty Robinson DT Nebraska
(145) Mac McWilliams CB UCF
(161) Smael Mondon Jr. LB Georgia
(168) Drew Kendall OL Boston College
(181) Kyle McCord QB Syracuse
(191) Myles Hinton OT Michigan
(207) Cameron Williams OT Texas
(209) Antwaun Powell-Ryland Edge Virginia Tech

Immediate Impact: LB Jihaad Campbell

The Eagles just won the Super Bowl so finding any rookie to make an immediate impact is tough. They drafted Campbell in round one and he was only available because he is dealing with a shoulder injury and some other ailments. The team is also dealing with MLB Nakobe Dean coming off an injury last season so Campbell’s shoulder injury might be healed faster than Dean’s issues. Campbell can also get on the field as a pass rusher so he’s going to play somewhere.

Best Value: DT Ty Robinson

They lost a lot of players in the front seven like Milton Williams, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat so they were looking to replenish the depth. Robinson is a tough player with good athletic traits who should fit the scheme well. Getting a guy of his caliber in the fourth round is impressive.

Sleeper: OT Cameron Williams

I could probably pick any of the three offensive linemen they took because they have the best o-line coach in football and he’s going to turn these guys into real players. I’m going with Williams because he feels like a Jeff Stoutland special. Williams is huge and powerful but he needs to smooth out the edges. No one smooths edges like Stoutland. This team is eventually going to need a RT replacement for Lane Johnson, my money would be on this guy.

Overall Analysis

Howie Roseman is one of the better GMs at drafting, he understands the most fundamental thing to remember…take good players. Jihaad Campbell could be a lot of things for this defense, most importantly he’ll be a playmaker. S Andrew Mukuba is a guy who plays like a guy 25 lbs. heavier than he is. He’s a good safety who loves to hit but he’s only 187 lbs. and he’s a little spindly. He goes for the big hit too much and misses some tackles, he needs to stop doing that and he would be more reliable. Robinson was a great pick where they got him and fills a need.

CB Mac McWilliams helps this team replenish the depth at CB as they let Darius Slay and James Bradbury leave. He’s a solid addition but they are counting on Kelee Ringo to become a starter or they may have to try McWilliams. Smael Mondon is the requisite Georgia defender Howie Roseman is apparently contractually obligated to draft every year. He adds some speed and coverage ability at LB. Then they took three offensive linemen in their next four picks. C Drew Kendall, OT Myles Hinton, and OT Cameron Williams are all guys Jeff Stoutland could turn into eventual starters. QB Kyle McCord is a good bet to be a solid QB. I think he wins the third string job over Dorian Thompson-Robinson. They did sign a number of veterans at edge rusher so the last pick Antwaun Powell-Ryland could find it hard to make the roster.

Nitpick or Concern: The one area they avoided that they could have helped themselves is WR. Sure, they have AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith and they are an excellent duo but their third WR is Jahan Dotson and he hasn’t been great. They keep signing middling free agents like Terrace Marshall (this year) or Paris Campbell (previously) but they don’t draft well to find a solution. They took Andrew Mukuba at 64 and there were guys like Kyle Williams and Jaylin Noel still on the board. They could have taken Jalen Royals or Elic Ayomanor when they took Ty Robinson so they had options.

Washington Commanders

(29) Josh Conerly Jr. OT Oregon
(61) Trey Amos CB Ole Miss
(128) Jaylin Lane WR Virginia Tech
(205) Kain Medrano LB UCLA
(245) Jacory Croskey-Merritt RB Arizona

Immediate Impact: OT Josh Conerly Jr., CB Trey Amos

Josh Conerly Jr. is a bit raw but he has more potential at OT than Brandon Coleman so there’s a good chance he takes the RT job from Andrew Wylie and Coleman ends up at LG. Perhaps eventually, Conerly is the long-term answer at LT but for now Laremy Tunsil holds that spot down. Amos is an excellent outside CB. His presence opposite Marshon Lattimore will allow the team to move Mike Sanristil back to the nickel spot and give them a solid trio at CB.

Best Value: CB Trey Amos

He was an absolute steal at 61 overall. He can be an immediate starter at CB and he has the upside to be a very good CB in the league.

Sleeper: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

The Commanders have Brian Robinson going into his fourth year so he’s in a contract year and Austin Ekeler who’s going to be 30 this season. They need some help at RB and Croskey-Merritt is a guy with some juice. He has the speed they don’t currently have in the backfield and he could be a valuable find.

Overall Analysis

This is a small class the Commanders did about as well as can be expected with a five-player draft class. Conerly and Amos have immediate starter ability and long-term upside. WR Jaylin Lane is a little undersized but he’s got electric speed and when Deebo Samuel inevitably gets hurt, Lane might come in handy. LB Kain Medrano is a fast LB who needs some discipline to be effective. Croskey-Merritt is a fun piece if they find the right way to use him.

Nitpick or Concern: When they took Medrano there were still a safety on the board, RJ Mickens who could have helped them. It’s a small and specific nitpick but it’s all I got unless you want me to dive into the trade for Deebo Samuel. I’ll save that for another time.