One Bold Draft Move for Each NFC East Team

A look at one big move for each NFC East team that could shock the league and/or shake up the draft.

One big move can either push a franchise to a championship level or set them back half a decade. To move from 27th up to 10th in 2017, the Chiefs sent Buffalo their third-round pick that year and their first rounder in 2018; they chose Patrick Mahomes with that selection despite having starting quarterback Alex Smith in place.

In 2012, the Washington Redskins moved from No. 6 to No. 2 by giving the Rams their second rounder that year and their first-round pick in each of the next two years. After a promising start to his career, Robert Griffin III dealt with injuries and never made a real impact after his second season, leaving the team with a deficit of talent.

I am going through each division and naming one bold move each team could make either during or around the draft. For some, this means aggressively adding a player at a position of need; others would be bold by changing their usual strategy.

Here we’ll focus on the NFC East, a division with two hopeful contenders (both of whom have holes to fill) and two teams needing to accumulate talent.

Dallas Cowboys

Add an impact veteran during the draft

Rather than bestowing the same strategy on each team (trade up!), here's something different for a franchise that just won their division before flaming out in the first round of the playoffs, losing to seventh-seeded Green Bay.

Dallas is usually conservative in the draft, staying at their spot or trading down more often than moving up. Instead of shifting around the draft board, Dallas could trade for a player who gets displaced by a rookie somewhere else.

The Eagles did this last year when they acquired D'Andre Swift from the Lions after Detroit picked Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round. If the Steelers, for example, grabbed a running back in the second round, would they trade Najee Harris for a Day 3 pick?

I’m not a big fan of Harris, but that scenario would fill a hole for the Cowboys without relying on a rookie. A flashy add at a premium position, like a wide receiver or pass rusher, would be more exciting and probably more impactful.

We don’t yet know which veterans will be made redundant during the draft, but Dallas may be able to use a mid- or late-round pick to add someone who can make a difference for the 2024 team.

New York Giants

Trade back into the first round for a quarterback

This scenario would see the Giants take a player with the sixth overall pick and then trade up from No. 47 to the end of the first round (maybe Baltimore at No. 30) to select a passer. New York’s ownership publicly supported the front office if they want to get their next quarterback, so grabbing one at some point wouldn’t be a surprise.

There are plenty of predictions related to New York trading to a spot earlier in the second round, but getting into the first gains the benefit of the fifth-year option, something that can be crucial in evaluations and extension talks. Moving up that far would also allow the team to jump ahead of any other team with the same idea early in the second round.

Bo Nix from Oregon and Michael Penix Jr. from Washington would be the possible targets if things fall as projected. Both have experience and good traits but also something that holds them back from the top of the draft. It would be a risky move, but that's what this article is all about.

Daniel Jones has had one good season in five tries, mostly producing injuries and underwhelming results. He timed his peak right to secure a big extension, but New York is only tied to Jones for 2024 before reasonably being able to release him.

GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll inherited a flawed roster built around Jones, and they are likely ready to grow the team in their own vision. That could begin in earnest with a new quarterback ready to start as early as Week 1.

Philadelphia Eagles

Take the first cornerback in the draft

This probably isn’t possible at Philly’s current draft slot (22), so it would take a sizable jump up the board to accomplish this task. If no corner is taken in the top 11 (very possible), the Broncos at No. 12 have a roster missing years of first- and second-round picks because of deals for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton.

A run on corners could start as early as the Raiders at 13, so Philadelphia would beat the rush by moving up 10 spots in this scenario. They have two second rounders and could package one with a mid-round pick to help replenish Denver (who is missing their second-round pick).

The Eagles had one of the worst pass defenses of any team last year. They allowed the second-most passing yards per game and third-most points per game, though their per-attempt numbers were a little better.

Starting corners James Bradberry and Darius Slay are both over 30. The rest of the depth chart has guys drafted in the fourth round or later, so they could use a young, high-ceiling player at the cornerback position.

This is a draft with enough depth that the Eagles could wait and choose a guy 22nd, but they have made trades recently to move up for the player they wanted (Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter over the past two years).

Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell are two of the names with star upside; Philadelphia could raise both the floor and ceiling of their defensive backfield by grabbing either.

Washington Commanders

Copy the Houston Texans from last year and trade up for a second top-10 pick

Trading out of the second overall pick would be bold, but it seems unlikely given everything else the team has done. After filling their biggest hole at quarterback, Washington will surely be hoping to find another important player: a left tackle.

Many mock drafts have the Commanders grabbing a potential starter early in the second round, but there’s a scenario in which they could shoot for the stars and get two top prospects at the top of the draft, as Houston did with C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson second and third overall in 2023.

The Tennessee Titans have been linked to Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, who many see as the top left tackle in the draft. With Tennessee picking seventh, Washington could look to move up to No. 5, where the Los Angeles Chargers are now led by GM Joe Hortiz, formerly of the Ravens’ front office.

It would cost a lot to move up from the 36th pick: Washington would surely be giving up next year’s first- and second-round picks and maybe more. On a team with a solid supporting cast, though, the quarterback they choose second overall could fall into a very comfortable situation with a new best friend on his blindside.

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