The consensus among NFL experts was that Philadelphia was one of the biggest winners from the draft weekend. At the same time, the Commanders retooled their roster and culture by selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall.
The Giants chose Malik Nabers (LSU) over potentially trading up for a quarterback. Dallas traded back and came away with a solid class with potential All-Pros at offensive tackle and guard and a sleeper pick at the edge rusher slot.
Now that we’ve gone through all 257 NFL draft picks, teams are holding their rookie minicamps, and we’re analyzing the draft hauls for all four NFC East teams.
Philadelphia Eagles: A
1/22 Quinyon Mitchell CB Toledo
2/40 Cooper DeJean CB Iowa
3/94 Jalyx Hunt EDGE Houston Christian
4/127 Will Shipley RB Clemson
5/152 Ainias Smith WR Texas A&M
5/155 Jeremiah Trotter Jr. LB Clemson
5/172 Trevor Keegan G Michigan
6/185 Johnny Wilson WR Florida State
6/190 Dylan McMahon C NC State
GM Howie Roseman landed the top-ranked corners in Quinyon Mitchell (20) and Cooper DeJean (40) without having to trade away a first-round pick. DeJean can play safety, nickel cornerback, and outside cornerback. Jalyx Hunt (94) is a raw pass rusher who should help upgrade a unit ranked 30th in points allowed per game (25.2).
Roseman made eight trades and then added 2025 third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (one of each), setting up Philadelphia for 9+ picks next April. Looking to add more weapons to Kellen Moore’s offense, the Eagles selected former Clemson running back Will Shipley; the splash pick was Roseman landing his Clemson teammate and legacy linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (155). One late-round pick to watch is former FSU wideout, 6-foot-6 wideout Johnny Wilson (185), who is now the tallest wide receiver in the NFL.
Washington Commanders B
1/2 Jayden Daniels QB LSU
2/36 Jer’Zhan Newton DT Illinois
2/50 Mike Sainristil CB Michigan
2/53 Ben Sinnott TE Kansas State
3/67 Brandon Coleman OT TCU
3/100 Luke McCaffrey WR Rice
5/139 Jordan Magee LB Temple
5/161 Dominique Hampton S Washington
7/222 Javontae Jean-Baptiste EDGE Notre Dame
The Commanders have a new lease on life after rehauling the franchise with a new owner (Josh Harris), general manager (Adam Peters), and coach (Dan Quinn). Peters, who had been in the 49ers’ front office since 2017, got busy by adding a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the 2nd pick.
On Day 2, they added pass-rushing defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (36) and then the best Nickel cornerback in the draft by selecting Michigan’s Mike Sainristil (50). Tight end Ben Sinnott (53) can be a rookie security blanket for Daniels. Brandon Coleman (67) can cross-train at multiple positions, while Luke McCaffrey (100) has the pedigree to be a really good contributor.
New York Giants: B
1/6 Malik Nabers WR LSU
2/47 Tyler Nubin S Minnesota
3/70 Andru Phillips CB Kentucky
4/107 Theo Johnson TE Penn State
5/166 Tyrone Tracy Jr. RB Purdue
6/183 Darius Muasau LB UCLA
The Giants passed on quarterback J.J. McCarthy for a true star receiver in former LSU pass catcher Malik Nabers. Nabers was rated ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. on some draft boards and he’ll make Daniel Jones better on Day 1.
Tyler Nubin (47) had 13 career interceptions for the Golden Gophers. Dru Phillips (70) can play the slot cornerback and former Penn State tight end Theo Johnson (107) could be a Day 1 starter with Darren Waller’s future up in the air
Dallas Cowboys: B-
1/29 Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma
2/56 Marshawn Kneeland EDGE Western Michigan
3/73 Cooper Beebe G Kansas State
3/87 Marist Liufau LB Notre Dame
5/174 Caelen Carson CB Wake Forest
6/216 Ryan Flournoy WR Southeast Missouri State
7/233 Nathan Thomas OT Louisiana
7/244 Justin Rogers DT Auburn
Dallas traded down five spots, gained a third-round pick, and still landed the draft’s most athletic offensive tackle in Tyler Guyton (29). Guyton will have a chance to be their starter at left tackle.
Defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (56) is excellent against the run and can continue to develop pass-rush moves playing alongside DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. Former Kansas State offensive guard Cooper Beebe (73) has the talent and nastiness to develop into an All-Pro. Marist Liufau (87) will have to prove he’s not a liability against the pass, but he’ll help stop the run. Caelen Carson (174) is a sleeper cornerback who was a starter for four seasons at Wake Forest and could develop into the next Daron Bland under Al Harris.
Final analysis
All four teams in the division landed impact players with their first-round picks, but there was some drop-off after the Eagles and Commanders class. Mike Sainristil has All-Pro potential for Washington, while Philadelphia’s secondary received a dramatic upgrade from the additions of Mitchell and DeJean. Nabers will be a hit for the Giants, while Theo Johnson could be the next young star at tight end. Dallas was patient over the weekend and added talented depth in the trenches while getting a little heavier at the linebacker position.
