{"id":86791,"date":"2020-04-26T08:07:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-26T12:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=86791"},"modified":"2022-02-02T18:44:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T23:44:17","slug":"nfc-east-nfl-draft-grades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/04\/26\/nfc-east-nfl-draft-grades\/","title":{"rendered":"NFC East 2020 NFL Draft Grades"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The most anticipated part of the off-season is officially in the rearview mirror, as the 2020 NFL Draft has officially passed. Every team in the league added young talent to their squad, but which teams made the biggest improvements? This installment of the 2020 NFL Draft Grades features an in-depth breakdown of every team in the NFC East.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Divisional Draft Grades:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/afc-east-2020-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AFC East<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/25\/afc-north-2020-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AFC North<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/afc-south-2020-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AFC South<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/afc-west-2020-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AFC West<\/a><\/strong><strong>\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/nfc-north-2020-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFC North<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/nfc-south-nfl-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFC South<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/26\/nfc-west-2020-draft-grades\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFC West<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>2020 NFC East NFL Draft Grades<\/h2>\n<h3>Dallas Cowboys: A++<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Players Added: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/02\/06\/ceedee-lamb-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CeeDee Lamb<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/02\/28\/trevon-diggs-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trevon Diggs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/03\/10\/neville-gallimore-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Neville Gallimore<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/21\/reggie-robinson-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reggie Robinson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/03\/21\/tyler-biadasz-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Biadasz<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/05\/bradlee-anae-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bradlee Anae<\/a>, Ben DiNicci<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys earned the best NFL Draft grades in both the NFC East and around the league. Dallas didn\u2019t need another receiver, but <strong>CeeDee Lamb<\/strong> was just too good to pass up. Arguably the best receiver in the class, Lamb excels at getting open at all three levels of the field and is nearly impossible to take down after the catch. Combining him with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/CoopAm00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amari Cooper<\/a> <\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GallMi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Gallup<\/a><\/strong> gives Dallas the best receiver trio in football.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trevon Diggs<\/strong> would have been a good pick if the Cowboys took him at 17, yet they somehow found a way to get him at 51. Diggs is no <strong>Jeffrey Okudah<\/strong>, but he could very well end up as the second-best cornerback in this class. Considering the need at the position, Diggs should be able to contribute right out of the gate. <strong>Neville Gallimore<\/strong> is raw, but his ceiling is through the roof. Getting him in the third is, once again, an absolute steal and only helps improve a strong front seven.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas continued to find fantastic value on Day 3. <strong>Reggie Robinson<\/strong> might have been something of a reach, but <strong>Tyler Biadasz<\/strong> and <strong>Bradlee Adae <\/strong>could compete to start in Week 1. You\u2019re not supposed to be able to find instant-impact starters at this point in the draft, but the Cowboys found a way. <strong>Ben DiNicci<\/strong> is an unremarkable quarterback that could compete for the backup job.<\/p>\n<h3>Philadelphia Eagles: B-<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Players Added: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/02\/29\/jalen-reagor-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Reagor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/02\/20\/jalen-hurts-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Hurts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/19\/davion-taylor-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Davion Taylor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/06\/kvon-wallace-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">K\u2019Von Wallace<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/04\/jack-driscoll-2020-nfl-draft\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jack Driscoll<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/03\/30\/john-hightower-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Hightower<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/21\/shaun-bradley-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaun Bradley<\/a>, Quez Watkins, Prince Tago Wanogho, Casey Toohill<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most people feel the Eagles should have gone with <strong>Justin Jefferson<\/strong> over Jalen Reagor, but I am not one of those people. While Jefferson has better hands and ball skills, Reagor has the ability to line up wide, get open at all three levels of the field, and take the top off a defense. The Eagles needed a receiver, and Reagor had the highest ceiling of everyone left on the board.<\/p>\n<p>Day 2\u2019s pick, however, are harder to defend. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WentCa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carson Wentz<\/a><\/strong> has an injury history, but taking a quarterback in the second round is a head-scratching decision. <strong>Jalen Hurts<\/strong> is athletic, and perhaps the Eagles are hoping to do a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HillTa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Taysom Hill<\/a><\/strong> thing with the Oklahoma product. However, with so many needs across the roster, there\u2019s really no way to justify this selection. Davion Taylor is a fine selection, but he\u2019s nothing special and probably won\u2019t ever be anything more than a situational role player.<\/p>\n<p>The Eagles turned it around on Day 3 by getting a solid safety in <strong>K\u2019Von Wallace<\/strong>. Wallace should compete to start and, at the very least, provides valuable depth at a needed position. <strong>Jack Driscoll<\/strong> is a perfect swing tackle and is an intriguing option if <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DillAn00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andre Dillard<\/a><\/strong> can\u2019t handle starting duties. Philadelphia needed speed at receiver, and they got it by adding <strong>John Hightower<\/strong> and <strong>Quez Watkins<\/strong>. These guys are far from complete receivers but they\u2019re exactly what Philadelphia needed on Day 3. Most analysts had <strong>Prince Tago Wanogho<\/strong> had a Day 2 pick, which means the Eagles got great value in the sixth. <strong>Casey Toohill<\/strong> probably won\u2019t develop into much of anything, but that\u2019s you expect out of seventh-round picks.<\/p>\n<h3>New York Giants: A+<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Players Added: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/05\/andrew-thomas-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Thomas<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/03\/01\/xavier-mckinney-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Xavier McKinney<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/06\/matt-peart-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Peart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/06\/darnay-holmes-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darnay Holmes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/18\/shane-lemieux-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shane Lemieux<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/10\/cameron-brown-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Brown<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/22\/carter-coughlin-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carter Coughlin<\/a>, T.J. Brunson, Chris Williamson, Tae Crowder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The New York Giants needed a strong draft, and general manager <strong>Dave Gettlemen<\/strong> knocked it out of the park. <strong>Andrew Thomas<\/strong> may not have the upside of a guy like <strong>Mekhi Becton<\/strong>, but he\u2019s the safest of the big-four tackle prospects and should be ready to start from Day 1. Chances are, he\u2019ll be the left tackle and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SoldNa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Solder<\/a> <\/strong>will move over to the right side.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Xavier McKinney<\/strong> is a fantastic selection that should\u2019ve gone in the first round. His versatility and all-around skills will be a welcome addition to a secondary lacking in playmakers. <strong>Matt Peart<\/strong> offers plenty of upside and could even push Nate Solder and his massive contract off the roster. Even if he\u2019s not ready to start out of the gate, he should be a solid swing tackle as a rookie.<\/p>\n<p>Some don\u2019t like adding yet another cornerback, but <strong>Darnay Holmes<\/strong> was too good to pass up. You can never have too many cornerbacks, and Holmes should start his career as a reliable depth option. <strong>Shane Lemieux<\/strong> can help bolster an offensive line that could use as much help as possible, while <strong>Cam Brown<\/strong> should be a great third-down linebacker in coverage. <strong>T.J. Brunson<\/strong>, meanwhile, is more of your traditional run-stuffing middle linebacker. He\u2019ll face an uphill battle to make the roster, as will cornerback <strong>Chris Williamson<\/strong> and Mr. Irrelevant <strong>Tae Crowder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Washington Redskins: B+<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Players Added: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/02\/04\/chase-young-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chase Young<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/03\/30\/antonio-gibson-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Antonio Gibson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/22\/saahdiq-https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2016\/09\/Top-Shelf-Prospects.jpg-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saahdiq Charles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/03\/antonio-gandy-golden-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Antonio Gandy-Golden<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/21\/keith-ismael-2020-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keith Ismael<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/04\/18\/khaleke-hudson-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Khaleke Hudson<\/a>, Kamren Curl, James Smith-Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Washington Redskins made the easiest decision in the draft with edge defender <strong>Chase Young<\/strong>. There isn\u2019t much I can say about Young that hasn\u2019t already been said, as the second-overall pick is the best all-around prospect to come out in quite some time. Putting him on the field with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KerrRy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Kerrigan<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SweaMo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Montez Sweat<\/a><\/strong>, and the rest of Washington\u2019s front seven should give every NFC East quarterback nightmares.<\/p>\n<p>Washington didn\u2019t have a second-round pick and had to wait until the third round to grab running back <strong>Antonio Gibson<\/strong>. Gibson is clearly the in-house replacement for <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=ThomCh03,ThomCh05,ThomCh24&amp;search=Chris+Thompson&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Thompson<\/a><\/strong>, and he offers even more upside as a pure receiver. Still, it\u2019s hard to justify yet another pick on a running back when there are needs literally everywhere else on the roster.<\/p>\n<p>Asking <strong>Saahdiq Charles<\/strong> to replace the great <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WillTr21.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trent Williams<\/a><\/strong> is a big task, but he should be able to compete for the left tackle job. <strong>Antonio Gandy-Golden<\/strong> is a fantastic contested-catch specialist that should help <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HaskDw00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dwayne Haskins<\/a><\/strong> in the red zone. <strong>Keith Ismael<\/strong> will need to dramatically improve his play strength, but he has the football IQ and instincts to make you think he could turn into a decent starter someday. Similarly, <strong>Khaleke Hudson <\/strong>and<strong> Kamren Curl<\/strong> are also undersized athletes with the mental fortitude for the position. All that remains to be seen is if they can overcome their build. <strong>James Smith-Williams<\/strong>, meanwhile, is a fantastic athlete that could be a steal if he can actually stay healthy at the NFL level.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"alSFWXzRSGZd_fca6kKYVQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1209327565\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'alSFWXzRSGZd_fca6kKYVQ',sig:'T4QFzRNoLdKPd_xH7cln_qoLeSOM6UQFx8CVy3u6lcQ=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1209327565',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NFC East NFL Draft Grades: How did the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles do in the NFL Draft?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":86792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20,1647,21,8896,22],"tags":[5273,5801,49,61,5865,6049,92,40,46,93,6045],"class_list":["post-86791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cowboys","category-giants","category-nfl-draft","category-eagles","category-washington-commanders","category-washington-football-team","tag-2020-nfl-draft","tag-ceedee-lamb","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-football","tag-jalen-hurts","tag-jalen-reagor","tag-new-york-giants","tag-nfl","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-washington-redskins","tag-xavier-mckinney"],"modified_by":"Al Preziosi","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}