NFL Draft Previews - NFC East

By Alex Wiederspiel

AFC East - AFC North - AFC South - AFC West - NFC East - NFC North - NFC South - NFC West

Asking who is going to win the NFC East in 2011 is like asking a congressmen if there's a way to actually fix the economy. You're going to get four very different answers depending on who you talk to. I could legitimately make a case for all four teams, even Washington (as long as Rex Grossman's not the starter). The Eagles faded down the stretch and made the division hunt interesting, but were able to outlast the Giants who also, coincidentally and as per usual, faded down the stretch. The big question about Philadelphia is whether or not Michael Vick will be able to stay healthy for an entire season. Also, with teams now having game-tape of new Michael Vick, it's going to become much easier to gameplan for him. In New York, for once, I don't blame Eli Manning. The Giants receivers were credited with as many as ten catchable balls that they tipped that turned into interceptions. Add in Ahmad Bradshaw's fumbles and a defense that fell apart in December and of course you had a recipe for disaster. In Dallas, it's simply keeping Tony Romo upright and fixing a broken running game. In Washington, it's the signal caller, which obviously gives them the worst shot at a division title or playoff appearance in 2011. Among other things the Redskins need to figure out how to build some chemistry on their team of transients.

1. Philadelphia Eagles
2010 Record: 10-6
Season Finish: Wildcard Round Loss
Draft Picks:
1st Round -- 23rd Overall
2nd Round -- 54th Overall
3rd Round -- 85th Overall
4th Round -- 104th Overall (from Washington)
4th Round -- 120th Overall
5th Round -- 149th Overall (from San Diego)
5th Round -- 153rd Overall
7th Round -- 227th Overall (from Seattle)
7th Round -- 237th Overall (Compensatory Selection)
7th Round -- 240th Overall (Compensatory Selection)
Team Needs: Back-up RB, OG, OT, DT, OLB, CB, Back-up S

Well no surprise Philadelphia did one hell of a job acquiring picks again this year, on a team that doesn't have a whole lot of pressing needs. Philadelphia's main goal has to be to plug up the leak in the middle of their offensive line--mainly at right guard where Mike McGlynn has struggled. Another issue for the Eagles is going to be what to do at right tackle. Winston Justice is coming off major, potentially career threatening surgery (Eagles and Justice say no, media says yes), but just got a big extension last off-season. The Eagles draft plans will likely not include a tackle, but if they draft one early that's a clear indicator of what's going on with Justice's health. While the Eagles would love to add Mike Pouncey, chances are they won't draft a right guard in the first round, which is one of the least important positions on offense. A corner is almost a guarantee, and the Eagles have been heavily linked to troubled Colorado corner Jimmy Smith. Smith has his fair-share of character concerns, but if he wasn't drawing comparisons to Pacman Jones off the field, might go ahead of Prince Amukamara on draft day. That being said, Smith could still go in the top fifteen. He's a wildcard on draft day. 

Philadelphia is also likely looking to part ways with Broderick Bunkley who has had an up and down career, and really built on a promising rookie season. Defensive tackle will likely be what Philadelphia addresses with their third round pick--probably going CB, OG, DT in the first three rounds. The only change their would be a value pick. I could see Philadelphia grabbing a power back in the 3rd round if Daniel Thomas is available. Otherwise they'll wait til later and look at guys like Allen Bradford and Darren Evans.

The Eagles also may choose to draft a center if they feel that Max Jean-Gilles can adequately play guard. Nick Cole may not be back, and the interior line is in flux. The Eagles have been linked to Slippery Rock's Brandon Fusco, who likely wouldn't go before the 5th or 6th round. Last but not least, the Eagles will feast off of being one of the few teams in need of a 4-3 OLB, and will likely find a good one because of the devaluation of the position.

In general, the Eagles are pretty easy to read this year. They may try and trade up for a top corner, but regardless, the Eagles are going to likely go corner, guard, and defensive tackle in consecutive rounds. After that, it will simply be best player available among their remaining "needs."

2. New York Giants
2010 Record: 10-6
Season Finish: 2nd in NFC East
Draft Picks:
1st Round -- 19th Overall
2nd Round -- 52nd Overall
3rd Round -- 83rd Overall
4th Round -- 117th Overall
6th Round -- 185th Overall
6th Round -- 198th Overall (Compensatory Selection)
6th Round -- 202nd Overall (Compensatory Selection)
7th Round -- 221st Overall
Team Needs: OT, OG/C, Back-up DT, OLB, MLB, CB

The Giants will need to address the offensive line before they address anything else, because a lot of their turnover problems can be fixed internally. The biggest issue in New York is correcting Ahmad Bradshaw's fumbling and the receivers inability to catch Eli Manning's balls. The Giants have a pretty nice receiving corps. even if Steve Smith is not retained, but the Giants receivers led the league by some accounts in dropped or tipped balls that became interceptions (as many as 10!) and that's a problem that likely will be fixed internally. If it happens again next season, you can expect the Giants will begin looking at adding another receiver or tight end despite how explosive Hakeem Nicks is.

So addressing the offensive line? Well that's easy--take the best player available regardless of position. The Giants could use help all over their aging line, and William Beatty has failed to mature into the player many thought he could become, which means Chris Snee is the only linemen the Giants can count on right now. Mike Pouncey is a very big possibility, though most teams don't take pure guards that high. The Giants are likely going to look at tackle. They'd be thrilled if Anthony Constanzo was there, but that's unlikely, so it'll likely be between Derek Sherrod, Nate Solder, and Gabe Carimi.

In the second, the Giants can get a bit more creative. They drafted Linval Joseph in the second round and likely aren't ready to give up on him. As one of the few teams that still runs a 4-3, they are in prime position to grab an outside linebacker with Bruce Carter and Mason Foster being top choices there. The Giants could also choose to grab another corner to combat the bevy of receivers in Philly and Dallas. They may even go back to the offensive line. If Stefen Wisniewski from Penn State falls, he could easily be a Giant. The most likely scenario is going to be a 4-3 OLB though, since Clint Sintim's failed conversion to 4-3 OLB is looking like it's coming to an end.

The Giants may also look at a middle linebacker like Mario Harvey from Marshall. Jonathan Goff is a terrific run stopper, but isn't great in coverage. I always thought he'd be better off in a 3-4 anyway, but the Giants didn't seem to care at the time. Lastly, expect them to add some late rounder at corner to develop. The Giants corners in Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster had respectable season. Thomas, in fact, had seven interceptions and twelve pass deflections, but both need to improve overall in coverage, where they both struggled at times. Neither struggled as much as Aaron Ross. Ross, at one time, looked like he would be a part of a trio of great young corners, but has fallen by the wayside.

3. Dallas Cowboys
2010 Record: 6-10
Season Finish: 3rd in NFC East
Draft Picks:
1st Round -- 9th Overall
2nd Round -- 40th Overall
3rd Round -- 71st Overall
4th Round -- 110th Overall
5th Round -- 143rd Overall
6th Round -- 176th Overall
7th Round -- 220th Overall (from San Diego)
7th Round -- 252nd Overall (Compensatory Selection)
Team Needs: RB, OG, RT, DE, CB, S

How does a team as talented as Dallas finish 6-10? It took a couple of different things. Tony Romo's injury is one of the more obvious answers, but Dallas had already started off incredibly slow to that point in the season. Wade Phillip's inability to motivate a team that was falling apart? Again, part of it. The real fault lies with Jerry Jones, who ignored the warning signs after a 34-3 playoff thumping at the hands of Minnesota in 2009. Marc Colombo had hit a wall in his age 32 season, and his turnstile blocking led the way for an injured Tony Romo. Marion Barber never regained the form that earned him his big pay day, and Jerry Jones ignored this for basically three years. To top it off, Barber's talented back-up Felix Jones couldn't stay healthy. Then there was the secondary. Terrence Newman's play completely dropped off, probably in conjunction with his age. Mike Jenkins, in the meantime, fell apart after a very strong rookie and sophomore campaign. The Cowboys Jerry Jones failed to see the aging veterans--Colombo, Barber, and Newman--as a problem. For it, he reaped a 6-10 season.

It's almost a guarantee that Colombo and Barber are gone. Newman has been given a vote of semi-confidence by Stephen Jones, and it seems that he has a better shot to stick around then the other two, though Dallas would be well served by dumping all three of them. Returning from injury will be promising rookie Akwasi Onsu-Ansah (yeah I know that's a mouthful, just call him AOA). AOA is probably going to play safety in Dallas, but could also play corner. He missed most of last season hurt, but was one of the hottest names leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft. Still, that won't stop Dallas from drafting a corner at ninth overall. If Patrick Peterson is available, it's a no brainer, but don't expect that to happen. It's more likely a choice between Prince Amukamara, J.J. Watt, Anthony Costanzo, and Tyron Smith. The Cowboys have been heavily linked to Tyron Smith, but I think they are trying to swing a trade with someone. The Cowboys don't want to draft a project left tackle at 9th overall...especially when in Dallas he would play right tackle. If Dallas drafts any offensive tackle at 9 it will be Anthony Costanzo from Boston College who can play either side of the line with equal skill. Most likely, Dallas wants to trade out of the number nine spot. Pure right tackles don't usually get drafted until the late teens. Costanzo would be an exception because he gives Dallas some versatility. I'm expecting the Boys to trade down, but if they can't, I think they'll grab a 3-4 defensive end--probably J.J. Watt in spite of the amount of depth Dallas has at the position. Stephen Bowen, Igor Olshansky, and Jason Hatcher make a nice rotation, but Bowen's biggest success came when he was Marcus Spear's back-up and was purely used on running downs. Spears is leaving, as he no longer wants to play in the 3-4.

In the second round, the corners are exceptionally strong in what is a very deep class. You will likely see Rasi-I Dowling (Virginia) or either of the Longhorns Aaron Williams or Curtis Brown go to Dallas in the second. In the third, the Cowboys can address right tackle, where there will likely be some strong prospects like James Brewer or Marcus Gilbert. Brewer could go in the late second, but Dallas should not be afraid to trade up and knock out all three of their major needs in the first two rounds. Good rookie contribution could put Dallas right back in the thick of the NFC East race.

In the later rounds Dallas will likely add another guard, another power back, and another safety, but the order doesn't really matter. They'll likely draft those three positions, but based on who the players available are. Since backs are extremely deep and likely to fall, the Cowboys should be able to jump over a starting caliber back in the 4th round like Allen Bradford (USC) or Jamie Harper (Clemson). The Boys aren't that far off from returning to success, but infusing some youth in their areas of weakness is a must.

4. Washington Redskins
2010 Record: 6-10
Season Finish: 4th in NFC East
Draft Picks:
1st Round -- 10th Overall
2nd Round -- 41st Overall
5th Round -- 144th Overall
6th Round -- 177th Overall
7th Round -- 213th Overall
7th Round -- 224th Overall (from Indianapolis)
7th Round -- 253rd Overall (Compensatory Selection)
Team Needs: QB, RB, WR, OG, C, Back-up OT, 3-4 NT, 3-4 DE, 3-4 OLB, 3-4 ILB, CB, S

That's an awful lot of needs. The Redskins could legitimately upgrade at every one of those positions, but they can't--especially with limited resources because there is no free agency. Okay, first and foremost, the Redskins are pretty much guarantee to let McNabb walk. His incentive laden contract didn't seem to inspire him, so now Washington will likely draft Locker at 10th overall and allow him and Grossman to battle it out. At running back Ryan Torain was a good leg-churner, but he's not overly gifted. He's been described as "just a guy" and that's really going to sum it up. Washington can live with him back there for now. Receiver is another story. After the Skins swung and missed on both Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly they are left thin at the position with Santana Moss likely heading to free agency. Receiver will be almost guaranteed to be addressed in the second round.

On the offensive line, center Casey Rabach is coming off a dismal season in pass protection and a downright awful season in the running game. The Skins are moving to a zone blocking scheme, and Rabach is going to get left behind it seems. Jammal Brown was respectable as a run blocker at his new position in 2011, but his pass blocking was surprisingly poor (he allowed near league high with 35 QB pressures). Trent Williams also struggled in his rookie year with 11.5 sacks allowed, 11 QB hits allowed, and 24 QB pressures. Some believe he should move over to the right side and let Jammal Brown take his original position of left tackle. If Washington wants to win now that's probably the smart thing to do, but in the long haul may be better off keeping Williams where he is so he can get his feet wet. Artis Hicks is likely going to go the way of Derrick Dockery--both are too big for the ZBS system. Will Montgomery fits the system very well, and will likely be the starting right guard in 2011. Kory Lichtensteiger from Boise State was not great in the running game, but was adequate in pass blocking, and was more of a help to Trent Williams then Dockery was. Still, the Skins being able to address their offensive line is unlikely unless it's a center. Kristopher O'Dowd, who is tailor made for the ZBS, is a good possibility in the fourth or fifth round.

With Albert Haynesworth's recent arrest and a slew of other problems, it's likely that he's seen the end of his road in Washington. But who knows? Mike Shanahan already won the Haynesworth war, but it seems that Daniel Snyder isn't ready to part with him yet. The Skins also need another pass rusher opposite Orakpo, and may need another inside backer depending on London Fletcher's status (though I think H.B. Blades may be a sleeper to replace Fletcher successfully). At corner, the Skins will probably ignore it because of the big money they handed out to the most overrated cornerback in football--DeAngelo Hall. Hall allowed the second highest completion percentage among full-time starters (800 snaps or more) with a 73.7% (one of the worst marks I've ever seen). Carlos Rogers had an off year, and while he's been a terrible turnover maker, Roger has been an adequate cover corner. He's scheduled to hit free agency. Philip Buchanon was actually Washington's best corner in 2011, but it remains to be seen if the Skins are willing to trust him as a starter (they're going to have to going into 2011). At safety, the Skins have Reed Doughty and LaRon Landry. Doughty could also be upgraded upon, but likely the Skins won't be able to pull it off either.

At 3-4 DE the Skins are likely going to let Kedric Golston walk while Adam Carriker continued to underperform which means they'll likely want to add another 3-4 defensive end. If they don't, project Clifton Geathers will be penciled in to start in 2011.

So now you know Washington's needs. There are lots of them. The Skins are basically hitting total rebuilding mode in 2011. Shanahan knows he has a decent bit of leeway, and I'm expecting him to draft Jake Locker at 10th overall. Locker has seemingly secured himself a first round spot as of late, and the Redskins are said to be so enamored with Locker they would have drafted him 4th overall in 2010. Locker actually does possess quite a bit of untapped potential. While his collegiate numbers leave a lot to be desired, Locker is a play to the whistle leader who was so dedicated to helping UW win that in his lost sophomore season after injuring his hand he moved to safety so he could still help the team. Ty Willingham was fired, Steve Sarkisian took over, and Locker learned the ropes of a pro style offense. However, outside of Jermaine Kearse, the Huskies lacked weapons and Locker played in a low-percentage offense with poor weapons and an average offensive line. Locker also corrected his throwing motion in the off-season and will need to have his footwork seriously changed. However, Locker actually has a surprisingly high football IQ and he can really throw the ball well on the run. In the right situation, Locker could actually succeed in the NFL.

After Locker, the Skins will likely grab one of the receivers who could go in round one, but likely falls to round two. Jonathan Baldwin (Pitt), Torrey Smith (Maryland), and Titus Young (Boise State) will all be names to remember. Then the problems begin. Washington has no picks in the 3rd or 4th. Once they hit the 5th, they have enough needs that they should basically just go best player available. If the teams are allowed to begin player movement before the draft, perhaps Haynesworth gets moved so the Skins can acquire a few more picks. One thing is for sure, Washington has some talented players, but their outlook in 2011 looks awfully grim.

Rundown: If I was a betting man I would say that if Michael Vick stays healthy this is the Eagles division to win. However, the Giants are awfully close to being the better team, while the Cowboys simply need to infuse some youth to get back to contending. Washington is the furthest off, and you can probably count them out despite what I said earlier.