The dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Draft and it is time to look back at every team’s haul to assess how they did. The NFC East fielded a league-high three playoff teams last season and looks set to be exciting once again in 2023. Here are my grades for all four teams.
Dallas Cowboys
| Pick | Player |
| 1.26 | Mazi Smith – IDL, Michigan |
| 2.58 | Luke Schoonmaker – TE, Michigan |
| 3.90 | DeMarvion Overshown – LB, Texas |
| 4.129 | Viliami Fehoko – EDGE, San Jose State |
| 5.169 | Asim Richards – OT, North Carolina |
| 6.178 | Eric Scott Jr – CB, Southern Mississippi |
| 6.212 | Deuce Vaughn – RB, Kansas State |
| 7.244 | Jalen Brooks – WR, South Carolina |
This draft seems to have taken a lot of flak and I don’t really understand why. Whilst it might not have been the best, it certainly isn’t the worst of the bunch. The selection of Mazi Smith wasn’t flashy, but he gives this defense some much-needed heft in the trenches. His strength and ability to occupy multiple linemen will make life much easier for the rest of the Cowboys’ front seven. The selection of Luke Schoonmaker was another underrated move, bringing in a tight end who can add value as both a pass catcher and an inline blocker.
If there is one pick that really excites me out of this group it is DeMarvion Overshown. Whilst his tape at Texas was a little inconsistent, his tenacious playstyle and effectiveness as a blitzer makes him an ideal fit for what Dan Quinn wants to do on defense. His versatility will open up new possibilities for this unit and is something I’m very excited to watch. Things admittedly tailed off a bit from that point, but when you get three good players with your three top 100 picks it is hard to dislike a class too much.
Grade: B
New York Giants
| Pick | Player |
| 1.24 | Deonte Banks – CB, Maryland |
| 2.57 | John Michael Schmitz – IOL, Minnesota |
| 3.73 | Jalin Hyatt – WR, Tennessee |
| 5.172 | Eric Gray – RB, Oklahoma |
| 6.209 | Tre Hawkins – CB, Old Dominion |
| 7.243 | Jordan Riley – IDL, Oregon |
| 7.254 | Gervarrius Owens – S, Houston |
The Giants’ draft started with a bang. In Deonte Banks they landed one of the bargains of the first round and a player who will make an instant impact. Wink Martindale’s defense is reliant on players who are comfortable in press and who can mirror in man coverage. Banks ticks both of those boxes and rounds his game off with elite athletic testing. They can also expect John Michael Schmitz to contribute immediately and he should be the team’s starting center from Week 1.
The rest of their draft was pretty good too. I was certainly far lower on Jalin Hyatt than the consensus, but getting him in the third round is solid value and he gives Daniel Jones a very effective deep threat to work with. They continued this good run with Eric Gray in the fifth round. Gray possesses great vision and smoothness as a runner whilst also being a plus contributor on passing downs. He should be a very capable backup behind Saquon Barkley.
Grade: A
Philadelphia Eagles
| Pick | Player |
| 1.9 | Jalen Carter – IDL, Georgia |
| 1.30 | Nolan Smith – EDGE, Georgia |
| 3.65 | Tyler Steen – OT, Alabama |
| 3.66 | Sydney Brown – S, Illinois |
| 4.105 | Kelee Ringo – CB, Georgia |
| 6.188 | Tanner McKee – QB, Stanford |
| 7.249 | Moro Ojomo – IDL, Texas |
Watching the Eagles in this draft was like watching someone play a video game on easy mode. How they managed to come out of the first round with both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith is nothing short of incredible. I had both graded as top ten prospects in this class and whilst Carter has some off-field issues and Smith is a little small, they provide even more depth to a defensive line that registered an incredible 70 sacks last season.
The selection of Tyler Steen in the third round raised a few eyebrows but he is a good athlete and the kind of offensive lineman that the Eagles have shown they can develop. Sydney Brown fills an obvious need at safety after the departure of Marcus Epps and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Don’t be surprised to see fourth round pick Kelee Ringo also filling in at safety after playing as a corner in college. In Tanner McKee they get a talented quarterback who can be a high-end backup in the NFL and even Moro Ojomo could be a useful contributor on defense. It’s not often a draft is this well-rounded from top to bottom.
Grade: A+
Washington Commanders
| Pick | Player |
| 1.16 | Emmanuel Forbes – CB, Mississippi State |
| 2.47 | Jartavius Martin – S, Illinois |
| 3.97 | Ricky Stromberg – IOL, Arkansas |
| 4.118 | Braeden Daniels – OT, Utah |
| 5.137 | KJ Henry – EDGE, Clemson |
| 6.193 | Chris Rodriguez – RB, Kentucky |
| 7.233 | Andre Jones – LB, Louisiana |
Washington certainly turned a few heads with their first pick, taking Emmanuel Forbes over the likes of Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter, two players who were ranked in the top ten of the Consensus Board. I had a first round grade on Forbes, who earned a reputation for some elite ball skills in college. That said, taking him at No. 16 overall with the other players that were still on the board feels a little questionable.
Day two was solid, adding a versatile safety in Jartavius Martin and an experienced center in Ricky Stromberg. You can expect both to make an impact as rookies and they have a good chance to displace existing starters. As for their day three picks, it doesn’t feel like they are getting any major contributors, although Chris Rodriguez could become their short yardage and goal line back this season.
Grade: C
