The NFC East was historically poor in 2020. Their combined record of 23-40-1 was the second worst in NFL history and Washington became just the fifth team with a losing record to make the playoffs. The race for the division title should be wide open in 2021 though and it will be interesting to see how things play out. Here are my draft grades for each team.
Dallas Cowboys
1.12 – LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
2.44 – CB Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky
3.75 – IDL Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA
3.84 – EDGE Chauncey Golston, Iowa
3.99 – CB Nahshon Wright, Oregon State
4.115 – LB Jabril Cox, LSU
4.138 – OT Josh Ball, Marshall
5.179 – WR Simi Fehoko, Stanford
6.192 – IDL Quinton Bohanna, Kentucky
6.227 – CB Israel Mukuama, South Carolina
7.238 – IOL Matt Farniok, Nebraska
There may not have been a team in the 2021 Draft who had as much of an up and down draft as the Dallas Cowboys. They were unfortunate to miss out on one of the top corners at No. 12 overall but managed to snag the best defensive player in the class in Micah Parsons. Parsons is an elite athlete with exceptional quickness and the tools to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL. They then managed to address their dire need at corner with Kelvin Joseph in the second round. Whilst he does come with off-field concerns, he has the tools to develop into a quality NFL starter.
They also deserve praise for getting Odighizuwa in the third and stealing Jabril Cox in the fourth. For all of their good work, they also managed to rack up some of the worst picks in the entire class. Chauncey Golston in the third round seemed like a huge reach. Their other third rounder in Nahshon Wright wasn’t even listed on The Athletic’s Consensus Board. His 4.57 second shuttle time was the second slowest of any cornerback prospect since 1999. They also picked up Marshall’s Josh Ball, who was suspended from Florida State due to accusations of dating violence.
Grade: B-
New York Giants
1.20 – WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
2.50 – EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
3.71 – CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
4.116 – EDGE Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa
6.196 – RB Gary Brightwell, Arizona
6.201 – CB Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State
We are approaching year three of the Daniel Jones era in New York and 2021 feels like it could be a make-or-break season. Dave Gettleman has made a point of surrounding his quarterback with weapons and the addition of Kadarius Toney gives them another interesting option. He is electric after the catch and gives the Giants a different skillset to work with. That said, taking him at No. 20 overall seemed really early, particularly with the likes of Elijah Moore still on the board. Toney lacks technique as a route runner and can struggle with physicality downfield.
Despite a glaring need along their offensive line, the Giants prioritised their defense with the rest of their draft. Getting Azeez Ojulari at No. 50 overall was tremendous value. Medical issues saw him fall, but many had him as the top edge in the draft in terms of pure talent. Aaron Robinson is another nice option for them at slot corner, with the potential to also fill in on the boundary. Elerson Smith and Rodarius Williams are both developmental options with upside.
Grade: B-
Philadelphia Eagles
1.10 – WR Devonta Smith, Alabama
2.37 – IOL Landon Dickerson, Alabama
3.73 – IDL Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech
4.123 – CB Zech McPhearson, Texas Tech
5.150 – RB Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
6.189 – IDL Marlon Tuipulotu, USC
6.191 – EDGE Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
6.224 – S JaCoby Stevens, LSU
7.234 – EDGE Patrick Johnson, Tulane
The Eagles are clearly keen on building around Jalen Hurts in 2021 and it will be interesting to see whether or not he can take the next step in his development. There weren’t many better moves they could have made than picking a player like Devonta Smith for him to work with. Smith will be Philadelphia’s WR1 from the outset and gives Hurts an incredibly talented weapon with the ability to win at all three levels of the field. Whilst his lack of size is definitely a concern, he has every other trait you look for at the position.
Smith was undoubtedly the headline, but there was a lot to like throughout the rest of their draft. Dickerson has had his issues with injuries, but if he can stay healthy he is a first round talent. Milton Williams lacks ideal size, but led all interior linemen in pass rush win rate in 2020 and had one of the best pro days we’ve ever seen at the position. They even managed to get two potential starters on day three with McPhearson and Gainwell. The icing on the cake was Patrick Johnson in the seventh round, who was a top 100 player on my Big Board.
Grade: A
Washington Football Team
1.19 – LB Jamin Davis, Kentucky
2.51 – OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
3.74 – CB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
3.82 – WR Dyami Brown, North Carolina
4.124 – TE John Bates, Boise State
4.163 – S Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati
6.225 – LS Camaron Cheeseman, Michigan
7.240 – EDGE William Bradley-King, Baylor
7.246 – EDGE Shaka Toney, Penn State
7.258 – WR Dax Milne, BYU
Washington surprised everyone with their playoff run in 2020 and look like they could have a shot to make it again in 2021. There was a lot to like about their draft class, although I was not a big fan of their first round choice. Jamin Davis is an athletic freak, setting the positional record with his 42″ vertical jump. He is still very much a projection though and we didn’t see a tonne of production from him at Kentucky. He played a simplistic role in the spot-drop heavy scheme and could take a while to aclimatise to the NFL.
Washington then went on to have arguably the best Day 2 of any team in this year’s draft. I had Samuel Cosmi as a first round talent, so to get him all the way down at No. 51 overall is great value. They then built on a good defense with the addition of Benjamin St-Juste, one of the most underrated corners in this year’s class. Dyami Brown in the third also looks like great value and they have managed to build a solid receiving corps for Ryan Fitzpatrick to work with. The rest of their picks were less exciting, although Dax Milne in the seventh round looks like a potential sleeper pick. This is a team with bags of potential and it will be interesting to see whether or not they can realise it in 2021.
Grade: A-
