2013 NFC East Draft Grades

Washington Redskins

Overall Grade: A

Until recently The Washington Redskins have missed more than they have hit in The National Football League Draft, but that has changed recently under Redskins general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan. The Redskins did not own a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, but they still managed to improve their team.

In the third round, Washington selected University of Florida tight end Jordan Reed. Reed went to Florida as quarterback and he changed positions in his sophomore year. Reed is still learning the position and he can be valuable for Shanahan and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III in the H-back position. The fifth round saw The Redskins select Florida State University defensive end Brandon Jenkins who was on his way to being drafted much earlier until a knee injury ended his 2012 season. Jenkins should be healthy for the start of the regular season and he gives The Redskins another pass rusher alongside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan.

In the sixth round, Shanahan and Allen got a steal as they selected University of Georgia safety Baccari Rambo. Rambo only played in 10 games in 2012, but in the previous season he led Georgia with 8 interceptions.

The Redskins won The NFC East last year with a team that wasn’t expected to win, but this draft is showing that The Redskins are here to stay.

New York Giants

To the casual fan this might not be a draft by The New York Giants that will entice you, but for a hardcore fan this is just another dose of what Giants general manager Jerry Reese does during The NFL Draft. Under Reese, The Giants have consistently taken the best player available. The Giants had several needs in the first round and Reese addressed one by selecting Syracuse University guard Justin Pugh. The Giants offensive line is getting older and now is the time to infuse some youth up front with the big guys.

Reese selected Texas A&M University defensive end Damontre Moore in the third round. Moore had second round talent, but some NFL scouts questioned his “motor”. I believe that Moore’s engine was working fine since he totaled 12.5 sacks last season for Texas A&M. In the fourth round Reese shocked some people by trading up to select Pugh’s college teammate quarterback Ryan Nassib. Nassib had been regarded as possibly being a top 20 pick, but he slipped to the fourth round. Reese and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin could possibly be ready to start the process of grooming a successor down the road for current Giants quarterback Eli Manning or they could just be developing a steady backup behind Manning. Either way The Giants were able to add tremendous depth to their team.

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones was in a position where he could really improve his team through The NFL Draft and he simply dropped the ball. The Cowboys came into the draft owning the 18th overall pick, but Jones traded with The San Francisco 49ers to move down to the 31st overall pick. The Cowboys then selected University of Wisconsin center Travis Frederick with the 31st overall pick. Most people gave Frederick a third round grade coming in so the move to take him was somewhat of a head scratcher.

The Cowboys also failed to add more depth at the defensive end position behind DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer as they are now transitioning back to the 4-3 defense.

Philadelphia Eagles

New Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has yet to coach a down of football in The NFL, but he is putting together quite a roster. I expected The Eagles to select an offensive tackle early in the draft and once Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel came off of the board, The Eagles selected University of Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson.

Kelly struck gold all throughout the draft process. In the second round he selected Stanford University tight end Zach Ertz who is a match-up nightmare for opposing safeties and linebackers. In the third round, The Eagles selected LSU defensive end Bennie Logan who is just a menace as he makes a living by consistently showing up in the opponents backfield.

Kelly traded up at the beginning of the fourth round to select USC quarterback Matt Barkley. If Barkley had entered The NFL Draft last season he would have been a top 10 pick, but he decided to return to school and he injured his shoulder late in the season against The UCLA Bruins. Being that Barkley slipped so far it will make him that much more eager to prove something to the doubters in The NFL.