NFC East Draft Roundup: How Did Each Commanders Divisional Rival Fair in the NFL Draft?

Looking at Washington Commanders divisional rivals following the NFL Draft.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; A general overall view of the 2024 NFL Draft logo on the Draft / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Draft was completed this past weekend and it looks like the NFC East got stronger as a whole. The Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys all appeared to improve their rosters with big needs that they needed to improve from their 2023 seasons.

The Commanders are in a new era under GM Adam Peters & head coach Dan Quinn and will be ushering in a new approach. The Eagles and Howie Roseman continued to awe fans by once again putting together what seemed like an unfair draft. The Cowboys looked to sure up both sides of the trenches, and the Giants, albeit not an eye-popping class, filled the necessary holes to try and compete in the division in 2024.

Below we listed how each NFC East team outside of the Commanders did in the NFL Draft according to Pro Football Focus.

Philadelphia Eagles: A+

CB Quinyon Mitchell, CB Cooper DeJean, EDGE Jalyx Hunt, RB Will Shipley, WR Ainias Smith, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., G Trevor Keegan, WR Johnny Wilson, C Dylan McMahon

"Philadelphia fortifies its 28th-ranked coverage unit with arguably the most talented cornerback in this class. Mitchell led all FBS cornerbacks in PFF overall grade in each of the past two seasons. His outstanding athleticism and ability to make plays in off-coverage make him a perfect fit in Vic Fangio’s defense."

"The Eagles add two top-10 players on the PFF big board in the first two rounds of this draft, both at the cornerback position. DeJean projects as a movable piece in Vic Fangio’s defense who could theoretically end up outside, in the slot or at safety. He’s been extremely productive in the Iowa secondary, allowing just a 45.0 passer rating into his coverage over the past two seasons."

Dallas Cowboys: B-

T Tyler Guyton, EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, G Cooper Beebe, LB Marist Liufau, CB Caelen Carson, WR Ryan Flournoy, T Nathan Thomas, DL Justin Rogers

"Dallas selects the former defensive end Guyton out of Oklahoma to reinforce their offensive line. He’s the 39th-ranked player on the PFF big board and is considered something of a project with outstanding athletic ability. He didn’t allow a sack in 355 pass-blocking reps this season, but he only earned a 59.0 PFF true pass-blocking grade."

"The Cowboys recover some defensive line depth that they lost in free agency, as they pick up Western Michigan‘s Marshawn Kneeland. He is a natural run defender who improved as a pass-rusher as his career progressed. Over the past two seasons, he posted an 88.0 PFF run-defense grade, which is the best among FBS edge defenders who played at least 300 run-defense snaps in that span."

New York Giants: A-

WR Malik Nabers, S Tyler Nubin, CB Andru Phillips, TE Theo Johnson, RB Tyrone Tracy, LB Darius Muasau

"The Giants were linked to several of the quarterbacks in the draft process. Instead of packaging picks to move up or sticking at No. 6 to bring in J.J. McCarthy, they bring an explosive receiver into a receiving corps in need of talent. Nabers recorded 44 receptions of 20-plus yards over his last two seasons, second-most among FBS wide receivers."

"PFF’s top-ranked safety prospect, Nubin is versatile and impactful. He can be moved all over the secondary and handle the role, as he possesses a high-level football IQ and can stop the run with instincts to cover on the back end. Nubin sported a career-best 90.1 coverage grade in 2023 (first among Power Five safeties) and allowed a 33.0 passer rating in coverage from 2021 to 2023."

Stick with CommanderGameday for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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