NFC East Draft Grades

Dallas Cowboys:

9. Tyron Smith, tackle, USC: Smith is the best OT in this draft and a great pick here.

40. Bruce Carter, linebacker, North Carolina: I like Carter, but I think this was one round too high for him, considering the serious injury he is coming off of.

71. DeMarco Murray, running back, Oklahoma: I don’t mind Dallas going RB, but I was never a fan of Murray. I fear there is a big bust factor here and that there were better options on the board.

110. David Arkin, tackle/guard, Missouri State: Arkin is a bit of a project, but he has upside and fills a need.

143. Josh Thomas, cornerback, Buffalo: I really like this Thomas pick, I love the upside and think he can grow into a starter.

176. Dwayne Harris, wide receiver, East Carolina: Another solid late round value here. Harris should be a nice slot receiver for Dallas.

220. Shaun Chapas, fullback, Georgia: Not a huge need, but Chapas has some upside as a complete fullback.

252. Bill Nagy, center/guard, Wisconsin: I think there were probably better interior linemen on the board, but it fills a need and that makes this a solid pick.

Grade: C+

Dallas filled a major need with their top pick and got some good value later, but their 2nd-4th round picks all need to be questioned. Murray to me is one of the most overrated players in this draft class, and not a top 100 player in my book. Carter is a good player, but carries a strong bust factor given the injury risk. Arkin is a slightly better pick, but he was still a bit of a reach. Tyron Smith is a great player, but I worry this will end up a one man draft class.

New York Giants:

19. Prince Amukamara, cornerback, Nebraska: CB isn’t the biggest need, but the value here is far to great to resist. Amukamara was arguably a top 5 player so getting him at 19 is a steal.

52. Marvin Austin, defensive tackle, North Carolina: Again not the need for NY, but the Giants got fantastic value. Austin was a borderline 1st round talent, and he should make that defensive line even more formidable.

83. Jerrel Jernigan, wide receiver, Troy: The Giants had major issues with injuries throughout their WR corps last season, so adding quality depth like Jernigan is a smart move for NY.

117. James Brewer, tackle, Indiana: I love the Brewer pick here, I think he was a 2nd round talent and has the upside to start.

185. Greg Jones, linebacker, Michigan State: Jones was slightly overrated as a projected 2nd or 3rd round talent, but he is an absolute steal in the 6th round. He could start in a year or two at OLB, and should be a good special teams player.

198. Tyler Sash, safety, Iowa: Sash was another early round talent that the Giants were able to steal late in the draft. Sash I think has big time upside, and should be a starter at some point in the near future.

202. Jacquian Williams, linebacker, South Florida: Williams might have been a slight reach, but he fills a need and could have some upside.

221. Da’Rel Scott, running back, Maryland: I’m not the biggest Scott fan, but where the Giants got him he’s a good value. He will also offer insurance in case one of the Giants top backs leaves in free agency in the coming years.

Grade: A+

I absolutely love this class, and think their top 6 picks will be impact talents. Amukamara has all the makings of becoming a shutdown corner and is an absolute great value pick here. Austin and Brewer will strengthen both lines are and fine talents. And Sash, Jones and Jerrigan should all have impact as rookies. I think New York had one of the best overall drafts, and were really smart for sticking to their board and taking the best available talent at each spot. They still managed to fill every major need, and have a strong class to help put them back into the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles:

23. Danny Watkins, guard/tackle, Baylor: Watkins is a great pick for the Eagles here, he can fill their need at RG or RT.

54. Jaiquawn Jarrett, safety, Temple: This is a slight reach for Jarrett, but he does fill a need for the Eagles.

90. Curtis Marsh, cornerback, Utah State: I love the value of this Marsh pick as I thought he’d be taken 10-20 picks earlier. He fills a big need for Philly, and could start as a rookie.

116. Casey Matthews, linebacker, Oregon: It’s hard to argue against drafting a Matthews brother and even more so when he fills a need for Philly.

120. Alex Henery, kicker/punter, Nebraska: It might have been slightly early to draft a kicker, but I think Henery is the best we’ve seen in a couple of years and could replace longtime veteran David Akers.

149. Dion Lewis, running back, Pittsburgh: Love this pick for Philly, Lewis got undervalued due to his size, but he was highly productive in college and should find a niche at least in the NFL.

161. Julian Vandervelde, guard/center, Iowa: Vandervelde is a solid value here and fills a big need for Philly.

191. Jason Kelce, center, Cincinnati: Again the Eagles are building up their line, and no one can argue against that strategy.

193. Brian Rolle, linebacker, Ohio State: Rolle was a highly productive backer at Ohio State and should be at least an backup at the next level.

237. Greg Lloyd, linebacker, UConn: Lloyd is another bloodlines player and he has some potential to be a valuable player down the road.

240. Stanley Havili, fullback, USC: Philly needed some fullback insurance with Leonard Weaver’s injury concerns.

Grade: B+

The Eagles did a great job addressing their needs along the offensive line, at linebacker and in the defensive backfield. While some could question grabbing 3 LB’s I think all 3 were good picks for the Eagles. And while using a mid-round pick on a kicker always carries a risk, I think this was a smart move as well. I thought the Eagles missed the chance to upgrade their defensive tackles, but other than that I really can’t find fault in this class.

Washington Redskins:

16. Ryan Kerrigan, linebacker, Purdue: This is a great value pick for the Redskins, and helps strengthen their poor pass rush.

41. Jarvis Jenkins, defensive end, Clemson: It might have been a slight reach for Jenkins, but he fills a major need and should be a significant contributor for the Redskins.

79. Leonard Hankerson, wide receiver, Miami: Hankerson should step in as a starter opposite Santana Moss (assuming he resigns), and is a great value in the mid-third round.

105. Roy Helu, running back, Nebraska: The Redskins needed some serious upgrades in their backfield and Helu has starting potential. I’m not sure the trade up was worth it, but given all the picks they had acquired it is hard to argue.

146. DeJon Gomes, safety, Nebraska: Gomes was probably a reach here, but he can play both corner and safety and can contribute on special teams.

155. Niles Paul, wide receiver, Nebraska: I love this Paul pick as I think he was a 3rd round talent and should really contribute to the Skins.

177. Evan Royster, running back, Penn State: Another reach here, but Shanahan had targeted him early on and he has a great track record with late round guys.

178. Aldrick Robinson, wide receiver, SMU: Three receivers seems excessive, but really the Skins only had two contributing WR’s last year, and Moss is a free agent.

213. Brandyn Thompson, cornerback, Boise State: I think this is good value for Thompson whom I expected to go a round earlier.

217. Maurice Hurt, guard, Florida: Washington finally got an offensive lineman in this draft. While Hurt doesn’t seem like a good fit, he might make it as a backup.

224. Markus White, linebacker, Florida State: White is a projectable rush linebacker prospect, and could be a nice backup to Kerrigan and Orakpo.

253. Chris Neild, nose tackle, West Virginia: Neild is a tremendous value here for the Skins and should be at least a role player for the Redskins.

Grade: B

While the Redskins did a good job and got 6-8 guys who should contribute early on in their careers, they made a couple slight reaches and ignored their obvious needs along the offensive line. While it’s a risky strategy I can’t fault the Redskins too much as they did address a number of other needs and stockpiled picks. I don’t find any fault in the Redskins not adding a quarterback, as for the most part they were extremely overdrafted.