The NFC East has not exactly lived up to its old reputation in recent years, with none of the teams looking much like contenders. The four teams will be hoping to change things in 2022, and any chance of doing so will start with these draft classes. Here are my 2022 NFL Draft grades for all four teams.
Dallas Cowboys
1.24 – OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa
2.56 – EDGE Sam Williams, Ole Miss
3.88 – WR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
4.129 – TE Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
5.155 – OT Matt Waletzko, North Dakota
5.167 – CB DaRon Bland, Fresno State
5.176 – LB Damone Clark, LSU
5.178 – IDL John Ridgeway, Arkansas
6.193 – LB Devin Harper, Oklahoma State
Recent drafts have seen the Cowboys earn praise for landing first round steals with prospects like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. The reception to their first round pick this year was understandably a little more muted. Tyler Smith is an intriguing developmental prospect, but he is still a long way off being an NFL-ready tackle. Taking a project like Smith in the first round when various other big names at positions of need were still on the board – I’m looking at you Jermaine Johnson – was an odd move.
Their next pick was equally controversial, but for very different reasons. Sam Williams has plenty of talent, but comes with some major off-field red flags, being charged with sexual battery during his time at Ole Miss and earning a suspension from the team. After that admittedly shaky start, things began to improve. Getting Jalen Tolbert in the third was a steal and their haul on day three includes a number of players who could make a legitimate impact at the next level, including DaRon Bland and Damone Clark. When you consider the full picture, it is a better draft than the first two picks might suggest.
Grade: B
New York Giants
1.5 – EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
1.7 – OT Evan Neal, Alabama
2.43 – WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky
2.67 – IOL Josh Ezeudu, North Carolina
3.81 – CB Cordale Flott, LSU
4.112 – TE Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State
4.114 – S Dane Belton, Iowa
5.146 – LB Micah McFadden, Indiana
5.147 – IDL D.J. Davidson, Arizona State
5.173 – IOL Marcus McKethan, North Carolina
6.182 – LB Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati
This was the start of a new era for the Giants, with this being their first draft under new general manager Joe Schoen. It is fair to say that things couldn’t possibility have got off to a better start. You should always come away with good players if you have two picks in the top ten, but for the Giants to have left the first round with arguably the top tackle and edge rusher without trading up is hugely impressive.
In a complete reversal of the Cowboys’ draft, things started well with the first two picks before tailing off swiftly. The selection of 5’8″ and 178 lbs wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the second round will have raised eyebrows given some of the other receiving talent they passed up at that spot. The same can be said for Cordale Flott, who flashed potential at LSU but remains raw and significantly undersized. The marquee moves in the first round will always be the headline, but it is difficult to be as forgiving about the rest of the class.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
1.13 – IDL Jordan Davis, Georgia
2.51 – IOL Cam Jurgens, Nebraska
3.83 – LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia
6.181 – LB Kyron Johnson, Kansas
6.198 – TE Grant Calcaterra, SMU
The Eagles had a very solid draft, but the biggest win was a player who didn’t have his name called in Vegas. They traded a first and a third round pick for Titans receiver A.J. Brown, in the process agreeing a $100m contract. He will now pair with DeVonta Smith to give Jalen Hurts one of the league’s more talented young receiving duos. Taking Jordan Davis at No. 13 overall was the other headline pick and I have to admit I’m less enthuasiastic about this one. Whilst Davis is a good player, the concerns around his ability to play a high volume of snaps and make an impact on passing downs make me sceptical about whether he can perform to this draft value.
Because of their various trades, the Eagles had just four other picks across the following six rounds. Cam Jurgens was a solid acquisition and can eventually serve as the long-term replacement for Jason Kelce. They also landed perhaps the biggest steal of the draft with Nakobe Dean in the third round. There is of course still a major question mark surrounding his health and ability to recover from various injuries, but this was a player who served as the star of a National Championship winning defense last season. If he can get back to full fitness he has the potential to be a high level starter in the NFL.
Grade: B+
Washington Commanders
1.16 – WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
2.47 – IDL Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
3.98 – RB Brian Robinson, Alabama
4.113 – S Percy Butler, Louisiana
5.144 – QB Sam Howell, North Carolina
5.149 – TE Cole Turner, Nevada
7.230 – OT Chris Paul, Tulsa
7.240 – CB Christian Holmes, Oklahoma State
This was certainly an unusual draft from Washington and it started with their first pick. I was a big fan of Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, but even I thought that taking a sub-180 lbs slot receiver at No. 16 overall was a confusing move. There is a lot to like about his game, but he isn’t the kind of player who is ever likely to develop into a high volume target in the NFL, something you should be able to expect from a receiver taken that highly. Given his size profile he doesn’t feel like a natural fit with Carson Wentz either.
Choosing to bolster an already stacked defensive line with their second round pick despite other obvious needs elsewhere on the roster was equally unusual, as was spending a third rounder on a running back when they already have Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic. Both Mathis and Robinson are good prospects, but both were over-drafted and both felt like luxuries. The one potentially exciting pick in the later rounds was North Carolina’s Sam Howell. He’s certainly not the perfect prospect, but getting him this late is exceptional value.
Grade: C
