162 days away from the NFL draft. April 30th, 2015 is just around the corner, and some teams are already looking forward to the draft, which means eDraft's NFL draft team is in full gear.
The NFC East will be one of the most interesting offseason stories after the season is over, with a ton of big decisions to be made. Will the Redskins pick up Robert Griffin III's option? Will the Cowboys re-sign Dez Bryant? Is Nick Foles the quarterback in Philadelphia? What is going to happen in New York with the defense?
All these questions will need to be addressed after the season, but here is an early look at the draft needs for each team in the NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles
Cornerback
The Eagles have two of the worst starting corners in all of football in Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher, and need to upgrade on the outside in terms of coverage. With Brandon Boykin in the middle and Jaylen Watkins a year older, the Eagles secondary would be much improved with two more corners.
Safety
Malcolm Jenkins has been impressive in his first season with the Eagles, but Nate Allen has made the safety spot weak overall. For as good as Jenkins has been, Allen has been just as bad, if not worse. The Eagles rely on their safeties a lot with two incapable corners, so adding a safety to play opposite of Jenkins could do wonders for the defense.
Inside Linebacker
DeMeco Ryans is out for the season, and who knows if he will be healthy enough to play at a high level again. The Eagles have a good young backer in Mychal Kendricks but will need someone to play with him if Ryans is unable to return to form. In addition, if Ryans is healthy, he is still on the wrong side of 30, and the Eagles will need someone to replace him before too long.
Dallas Cowboys
Safety
The Cowboys defense is a lot better than most were expecting this year, mostly because of the rejuvenated Rolando McClain and some younger guys stepping up. But they have a hole at safety. Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox are the starters now, but Dallas will need to upgrade at safety before they can consistently shut down the star wide receivers in the NFC East.
Right Tackle
The Cowboys offensive line is among the best in football, but with a right tackle they could become the best in the NFL. Dallas has three first round picks on the offensive line at the moment, and if a fourth comes along, there will be more running room than this season, which is scary for a an offense with DeMarco Murray in the backfield. Doug Free is the current right tackle (when healthy) for the Cowboys.
Cornerback
It seems like the Cowboys need cornerbacks each year, and the truth is you can never have enough. After losing Morris Claiborne to injury and not having Orlando Scandrick for the entire season, the Cowboys could use another cornerback to add depth to their defense.
New York Giants
Left Tackle
Will Beatty has led to a lot of turnovers for the Giants this season, and a left tackle would help bring the Giants' offensive line improvement. Last year, New York added Weston Richburg, so if the Giants can add a solid left tackle, Eli Manning will be protected for the first time in years.
Linebacker
The Giants will need to upgrade a group that is starting Devon Kennard, Jameel McClain and Jacquian Williams if they want to compete in the NFC East. One of the big reasons the Giants are having issues stopping the run this season is due to this linebacking crew.
Free Safety
The Giants have one of the better safeties in the NFL in Antrel Rolle but another one is needed to improve the defense. Every team in the NFC East needs a safety, so the Giants are one step ahead by already having a very good one.
Washington Redskins
Offensive Line
The Redskins' quarterbacks, whoever is playing, are running for their lives half the time. Trent Williams is a star, but the rest of the offensive line needs work. One could argue that four of the five spots along the offensive line could be, and should be replaced.
Cornerback
Bashaud Breeland and David Amerson have proven to be above average young corners at times, but both are polar opposites in terms of style of play. Amerson would be best used in zone defense and Breeland is a physical corner who uses his big frame to the best of his ability to succeed. The Redskins need one more corner to match up with some of the top receivers in the NFC East.
Safety
Another NFC East team, another need at safety. Ryan Clark is a solid player, and will be a good addition when all is said and done, but Brandon Meriweather could be upgraded, especially since he has had injury issues over the last few seasons. With the Redskins defense having a lot of talent, one more solid safety could make them one of the better defenses in the NFL in terms of talent, assuming Brian Orakpo is re-signed.