NFL power rankings: Giants ahead of Cowboys in NFC East after draft
By Doug Rush
It's always a little clearer to get a grasp of how the league will look once the NFL Draft is over. After a few years of being labeled the "NFC Least," the NFC East division went back to being the "NFC Beast" when three of the four teams - the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants - made the playoffs.
The fourth, the Washington Commanders, hung into the playoff picture until the near end. But to their credit, they were the first team in 2022 to defeat the Eagles during their run towards being the runner-up in the Super Bowl.
With NFL free agency come and gone, and with teams being able to make some adjustments and replacements in the draft with players departing, we all can get a sense of what to expect from the teams in what many considered to be the toughest division in not just the NFC, but the entire league. So, lets rank the teams from the NFC East following free agency and the NFL Draft:
4. Washington Commanders
Maybe the Commanders will get out of their own way now that they have been sold by Daniel Snyder. But then again, they are still the team in the NFC East basement for a reason. With Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett as your top two quarterbacks heading into the 2023 season, it doesn't scream playoff contender.
But it also didn't do much having Carson Wentz either, who went 2-5 as the starter. Taylor Heinicke, who went 5-3-1 as the Commanders starter in 2022, has since departed and signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Commanders declined the fifth-year option on pass-rusher Chase Young. Could his days with Washington be coming to an end? Could he find himself traded by the deadline? Or was this motivation to get their former No. 2 overall pick to have a monster season and then pay him next offseason?
Despite being in the basement of the NFC East, the Commanders did finish 8-8-1. This was impressive after starting out the season 1-4 and getting to 7-5. But even with the feel-good story of head coach Ron Rivera overcoming his adversity, the Commanders are still behind everyone else in the division.