NFL Draft Needs: NFC East

NFL DRAFT NEEDS

NFC-East

Original Story at Opensport.com

Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboys looked like the best team in the NFL early on in the season. That look quickly disappeared as Mr. Romo went down and the team fell apart.

The Cowboys have a lot of areas that need to be addressed during this offseason, mostly on defense. But when Jerry Jones traded for Roy Williams he lost his first round pick.

The Cowboy’s will have to address both safety positions in this draft/offseason. I think they will draft a safety with their second round selection. They also need middle linebacker who will be groomed for the future.

On offense they desperately need offensive linemen. They need to find a franchise left tackle to take over for Flozell Adams who is the most penalized tackle in the league. They should try to draft a tackle in the second or third round. A backup quarterback is also needed to take over for Brad Johnson.




New York Giants- The Giants were a dominate team this season until Plaxico didn’t put the safety on and shot himself in the leg. The passing game went downhill from there and they were knocked out of the playoffs early.

The Giants need a big upgrade at the outside linebacker position, which has been a week spot for the Giants for many years now.

They might use their late first round pick on Brian Cushing from USC.

The Giants also need an offensive tackle that can eventually start on the left side; I see them using an early pick tiring to find that. Wide receiver is also a big question mark for the Giants with Plaxico’s future still up in the air. They will need to find a large wide receiver to fill his role next season.






Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles had a very strange season to say the least. They started off well but then injuries to Brian Westbrook and the benching of McNabb had many fans calling for Andy Reid’s head.

But the Eagles somehow found a way to get over it all and got into the playoffs.

The Eagles will need to concentrate on the offensive side of the ball with their first round picks. They need to find a replacement for long time star offensive tackle Tra Thomas, who is getting old and is a free agent.

Tight end is also a need to take over for L.J Smith. With Gresham staying at Oklahoma, the best tight end in the draft is Brandon Pettigrew from Oklahoma State, I expect the Eagles to draft him in the first round.

A receiver will also be selected on draft day to complement DeSean Jackson. On defense they need to find the eventual replacement for Brian Dawkins.





Washington Redskins- Washington looked like a big time contender early in the season winning its first two road games against the NFC-East. But injuries and bad decisions left them at home during the playoffs.

The Redskins will need to fill a lot of holes on offense and defense in the offseason. Their biggest needs on offense are offensive tackles to fill in for the aging Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels.

They probably will use a first round pick to address this. I could see them selecting Jason Smith from Baylor (if he falls) or Eben Britton from Arizona. Offensive Guard will also need an upgrade later in the draft.

On defense the Redskins will need help on the defensive line and linebacker positions. They should use their 3rd or 4th round picks to address one of those positions.