Discussion of First Round Possibilities NFC East

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New York Giants hold 5th & 7th selections
Philadelphia Eagles hold 15th & 18th selections
Washington Commanders hold 11th selection
Dallas Cowboys hold 24th selection

This is an attempt to better understand the ideals of which direction all four of these teams could go with their 1st round picks. Will also explore trade up or trade down scenarios for each team.

Do the New York Giants focus on replacing Daniel Jones or surrounding him with talent? Fix the OL? Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal or Charles Cross
Do the Philadelphia Eagles continuing building around Jalen Hurts? Drake London, Chris Olave and/or Garrett Wilson
Do the Washington Commanders traded for Carson Wentz, they could use IOL with Brandon Scherff signing with Jacksonville? Kenyon Green, Tyler Linderbaum?
Do the Dallas Cowboys continue to fix the defensive side of the ball since they have all the skill positions filled offensively? George Karlaftis, Nakobe Dean?

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New York Giants
2022 Draft Picks
Round 1: Nos. 5, 7 (from Bears) overall
Round 2: No. 36
Round 3: Nos. 67, 81 (from Dolphins)
Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears)
Round 5: Nos. 147, 173 (from Chiefs through Ravens)
Round 6: No. 182

Team needs
Offense
Whatever they might say publicly about Jones, surely even the Giants know he’s not the future. That’s a top priority. But whoever ends up under center is going to have a rough time if the Giants don’t do something about their offensive line. They made some moves in free agency to shore up in the interior, but they still need a better option on the right side.

Defense
New York needs to add an edge rusher and a cornerback in the draft too, and either position would be an option on day one, if the right player is there.

Dream first pick
Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
If the Giants are really convinced that they don’t need a quarterback (or they just want to wait a year), they might as well do whatever they can to help the signal callers they do have. Neal is the best offensive lineman in the draft. He’s 6’7, 350 pounds, but pass blocks like a man who walks on air. He’s also pretty intimidating run blocking too, and he can play both tackle spots.

Dream second pick
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Opinions on Thibodeaux range from him being a potential No. 1 pick to even falling past the Giants’ two first-round selections. The talent is unquestionable — as is his confidence — and he’d add a pass rushing element to the Giants defense that they’ve been missing for a while.

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Philadelphia Eagles
2022 Draft Picks
Round 1: Nos. 15 (from Dolphins), 18 (from Saints)
Round 2: No. 51
Round 3: Nos. 83, 101 (from Saints)
Round 4: No. 124
Round 5: Nos. 154 (from Commanders), 162, 166 (from Cardinals)
Round 6: N/A
Round 7: No. 237 (from Saints)

Team needs
Offense
Zach Pascal was a smart free agent addition, so the Eagles still really need a threatening second receiver opposite Smith if they’re going to have a fully realized offensive attack. They need depth on the interior offensive line too.

Defense
Philadelphia filled a big hole among their linebackers with the addition of Haasan Reddick, but they still need more talent at the position. Safety and cornerback are two other priority areas to address. Derek Barnett was re-signed, but the Eagles can still use more depth on the defensive line.

Dream first pick
Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
With three picks in the middle of the first round, the Eagles can do a lot. Lloyd would be an excellent addition, pairing with Reddick to take Philly’s linebackers from a liability to one of the defense’s best position groups. There really isn’t much Lloyd can’t do. He can blitz, cover a tight end, and shed blocks to bring down runners.

Dream second pick
Drake London, WR USC
Natural catcher of the ball. Tough runner after the catch and runs with an edge to him. Possesses good body control and a large catch radius to haul in passes in his relative area. Excellent concentration in traffic and over the middle of the field to keep his eye on the ball throughout the catch process.

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Washington Commanders
2022 Draft Picks
Round 1: No. 11 overall
Round 2: No. 47 (from Colts)
Round 4: No. 113
Round 6: No. 189
Round 7: Nos. 230, 240 (from Eagles through Colts)

Team needs
Offense
Despite signing Andrew Norwell to replace Brandon Scherff, the team still needs interior offensive lineman. They could really use another wide receiver to work opposite Terry McLaurin.

Defense
Kendall Fuller gives them one outstanding corner, but they need help in the secondary so teams can’t just throw it in the other direction. Last year’s addition of free agent William Jackson looks like a bust. They need help at linebacker too.

Dream first pick
Derek Stingley Jr. CB LSU
With prototypical size, elite athleticism, and above average wingspan and hands, Stingley Jr. projects to be a mosquito in elite wide receivers’ lives. He can be the shutdown corner that defensive coordinators dream about, and combined with the Commanders’ talent along the defensive line, he could be the secret to their return to a top-10 pass defense (according to DVOA, they dropped from 2nd to 28th between 2020 and 2021).

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Dallas Cowboys
2022 Draft Picks
Round 1: No. 24 overall
Round 2: No. 56
Round 3: No. 88
Round 4: No. 129
Round 5: Nos. 155 (from Browns), 167, 176, 178
Round 6: No. 193 (from Browns)

Team needs
Offense
The Cowboys have long had one of the most vaunted offensive lines in the NFL, but they’re going to need to do some retooling this offseason. Connor Williams is off to Miami in free agency and La’el Collins signed in Cincinnati. They could also use an upgrade at the center spot. The skill positions are pretty well off in Dallas, but could add another dynamic WR early on in the Draft to pair with Lamb and make life hard for opposing defenses.

Defense
The defense doesn’t need a total revamp at all, it really just needs depth. Dallas could use picks to get anything from a safety, linebacker or defensive tackle and all of those selections would make sense. The defensive front is fine, but really needs some depth in the interior, which is probably the most urgent need on that side of the ball

Dream first pick
Zion Johnson, OL, Boston College
It has to be somebody up front on the offense. They have to keep Dak Prescott safe and they need to open up running lanes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. So Zion Johnson from Boston College would be a great first pick for Dallas, even though it’s not the flashy pick most fans probably want.

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