The NFC East hosts the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC Championship runner-up Washington Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants. All eyes are on this division to see if they continue their success in 2025. A huge indicator of their anticipated success is the NFL Draft, so we grade each team on who had the better draft.

4 — Philadelphia Eagles

The defending champions didn’t make a huge splash in the NFL Draft this year. Trading up one spot in the first round to ensure Jihaad Campbell was an Eagle is a bold move. Would the Chiefs have taken the Alabama linebacker? Would another team have moved ahead of Philadelphia for Campbell? Campbell can be a stud for an already loaded defense. The team spent their first 5 selections on the defensive side of the ball, including safety Andrew Mukuba in the 2nd round and cornerback Mac McWilliams in the 5th. The Eagles don’t have a need for the secondary, but that is a benefit of being the Super Bowl Champions — you’re allowed to take the best player available on your board.

Two takeaways from the offensive side of the ball are quarterback Kyle McCord and the three offensive linemen picked on Day 3. McCord doesn’t remind me of Jalen Hurts in a plug-and-play situation, so it’ll be interesting if the playbook changes if McCord ever gets in the game. The Eagles are no strangers to Syracuse quarterbacks (hi, Donovan McNabb), so Philadelphia felt good about rolling the dice. It doesn’t matter who is at quarterback with the weapons surrounding him, especially the offensive line blocking for him. If Philadelphia ever lost a key piece to their line, they have three raw prospects they can groom and mold to tush push for the Eagles one day.

3 — Washington Commanders

The Commanders had fewer picks than any other NFC East team this year. Despite that, the Commanders still surrounded Jayden Daniels with the pieces he needs to be successful. In addition to what Washington did in free agency by acquiring the likes of Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. In this year’s draft, the Commanders used their first-round pick on a left tackle, but after acquiring Laremy Tunsil in a trade, the Commanders might transition Josh Conerly Jr. inside to guard, where I believe he fits better with his athleticism. Conerly Jr. had the best 10-yard split at the combine earlier this year.

While the acquisition of Laremy Tunsil impacts how the Commanders use Josh Conerly Jr., so does the acquisition of Deebo Samuel impact their fourth-round selection, wide receiver Jaylin Lane from Virginia Tech. Lane has all the physical tools you could want in a wide receiver (natural pass catcher, speed, elusive, and a dynamic playmaker). Lane just hasn’t put it together at Virginia Tech, but now goes to an offense where he has a talented quarterback in Jayden Daniels, alongside some veteran receivers to help. If Lane is willing to learn from a veteran like Deebo Samuel, I can see the Commanders’ aspirations to be a younger Deebo Samuel in this offense.

While the focus was offense, the Commanders did spend a 2nd-round pick on cornerback Trey Amos from Ole Miss. This is a physical cornerback at 6’1″, and Amos will fit very well in Dan Quinn’s system. Washington traded for Marshon Lattimore last season at the deadline, so giving Amos someone to learn from is huge in this team’s development defensively.

2 — Dallas Cowboys

You could argue the Cowboys should be the best class in this division. Many thought the Cowboys would go running back, wide receiver, or trade down with their 12th overall selection. Ashton Jeanty and Tetairoa McMillan were off the board, so instead of finding a trade partner, the Cowboys drafted guard Tyler Booker from Alabama. While Cowboys fans would have preferred the team to trade back and still take Booker, the more you hear about him, the more fans start liking him. Realistically, you couldn’t expect him to be available and risk losing out on your top three prospects. This pick helps establish the offensive line that dominated the NFL for years.

The Cowboys wouldn’t address offense much this draft, except for taking running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. These are two completely different running backs, one with speed and the other with size. With the current roster of running backs, the Cowboys might have found a starter on Day 3 at running back, which isn’t uncommon in the NFL nowadays.

Their main focus was defense. The Cowboys lucked out on two first-round talents slipping to them in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Donovan Ezeiruaku was second last year in the FBS with sacks (16.5) and will pair nicely opposite Micah Parsons, replacing longtime Cowboy Demarcus Lawrence. Shavon Revel Jr. would have been a first-round pick if it weren’t for his ACL injury in September, but if he returns healthy, he can allow DaRon Bland to move to the slot while Revel mans the sideline. Revel, Bland, and Trevon Diggs make for an impressive three-man secondary.

Most impressively, the Cowboys drafted very well throughout all three days. Dallas addressed team needs and went for depth at linebacker, offensive line, and defensive tackle. All these positions were chaotic for the Cowboys in 2024 due to injuries or performance, so the team instantly created competition by drafting a lot of team captains from their college squads.

1 — New York Giants

The NFL Draft is all about finding impact players. You want that player to be in Canton, have All-Pro selections, and help your team win games. The Giants may have struck gold on all three counts, starting with Abdul Carter at #3 overall. Looking at the defensive lines across the division, and particularly the impact former Penn State defensive end Micah Parsons is making on the Cowboys, it’s no surprise the Giants went for a highly-touted Nittany Lion. Many experts believe Carter could be the best player in this class, and pairing him with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Chauncey Golston is a scary lineup. Not to mention the Giants used their third-round pick on defensive tackle Darius Alexander from Toledo.

Taking Abdul Carter at 3 meant the Giants weren’t going to get their quarterback until they traded up and shocked the world by taking Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are short-term placeholders for the franchise to give Dart the keys whenever he’s ready. Dart can hit the deep ball, has great anticipation for mid-range throws, and can scramble when times get tough, a common theme in New York. This pick might make its impact in Year 2 or 3, or by Week 3, but Dart is the Giants’ best chance at success.

Perhaps the biggest Day 3 selection for any division came from the Giants taking Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo. Skattebo’s the first FBS player to have 1500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season since Christian McCaffrey in 2015. Skattebo has McCaffrey production with a more durable build. McCaffrey’s hindrance is his frame and getting hurt, but Skattebo at 5’10” is built like a tree trunk. Even with Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary on the roster, Skattebo can quickly earn this starting job and make fans forget all about Saquon Barkley walking to Philadelphia.

Overall, the NFC East has proven they’re not the NFC Least anymore. The Eagles and Commanders both represented the NFC East in the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys continue to retool, and the Giants made competent moves to compete in future years.

Who do you think had the better draft among the NFC East teams? Let us know in the comments below.