The Eagles’ odds have taken a big jump to win the NFC East after the draft. They went into the draft as +310 odds to win the NFC East, and are now sitting at +240. The Cowboys went from -185 to +105, which shows what sportsbooks think of their draft.
The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what teams value, and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.
Philadelphia Eagles
Adding Jordan Davis, A.J. Brown and Nakobe Dean in one weekend seemed impossible last week. Howie Roseman pulled it off. The trade-up to get Davis might have been too much, but they got the player they wanted. The Eagles are +240 to win the NFC East via FanDuel.
Grade: A
Dallas Cowboys
Tyler Smith has upside, don’t get me wrong, but he is extremely raw. There will be some growing pains for him, and the Cowboys need offensive line help instantly. They drafted Sam Williams in the second round, who was charged with felony sexual battery in 2020. Did they learn nothing from Kelvin Joseph?
Jalen Tolbert in the third round is a good pickup, but they need to replace Amari Cooper’s production, and I don’t know if a third-round receiver can accomplish that. The Cowboys are the favorites to win the division at +105 via FanDuel.
Grade: C+
Washington Commanders
They moved down five spots to pick 16 and gathered third and fourth-round picks. This was a puzzling decision as Jameson Williams and Kyle Hamilton were still on the board. Dotson was a reach at 16, but wide receivers quickly fell off the board. I like the value for Sam Howell in the fifth round. They are +450 to win the NFC East via FanDuel.
Grade: C+
New York Giants
The Giants walked away with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal in the first round, which is a home run for this franchise. They are two cornerstones at essential positions that the Giants can build around. Wan’Dale Robinson is a fun player and should contribute right away on offense.
Giants fans should be excited about the future. They are +650 to win the NFC East via FanDuel.
Grade: B+
2021 NFC East Draft Grades article from May 4, 2021
The Washington Football team was +850 to win the NFC East heading into Week 1 last year. Even after having my favorite draft in the division, they are currently sitting at +260.
The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what team values, and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of BetRivers:
[ NFC East | NFC West | NFC South | NFC North ]
NFC East 2021 Draft Grades
Philadelphia Eagles:
After passing on Justin Jefferson last year, hitting on this first year’s first-round pick was important for the future of the franchise. DeVonta Smith ended up being the best player left on the board at a position of need. The Landon Dickerson pick was questionable, but I understand why they made it.
He provides versatility in being able to play both guard and center and was a leader in the Alabama locker room over the last three years. His injury history is concerning, but overall it was worth the swing considering his upside.
Milton Williams and Kenneth Gainwell were both good picks and should be ready to contribute on day one. This was an encouraging draft for a rebuilding team.
Grade: B+
New York Giants:
According to reports, the Giants were eyeing DeVonta Smith at 11 if the Eagles did not trade up and take him with the 10th pick. They ultimately traded down nine spots and acquired a fifth this year, along with a first and a fourth next year. That’s great value.
Toney at 20 might have been a reach, but he should instantly contribute to a struggling offense. Azeez Ojulari and Elerson Smith in the fourth and second round can be building blocks for this defense. Dave Gettleman did a good job this weekend. The Giants are +400 odds to win the NFC East according to SugarHouse Sportsbook.
Grade: B+
Washington Football Team
I had Jamin Davis mocked to Washington in both of my mock drafts. He just made so much sense considering they need a three-down linebacker in a zone-heavy scheme. Sami Cosmi can play both right and left tackle for a team that has a huge hole on the left side of their line. Dyami Brown in the third round is tremendous value. He could surprise some people and be a top receiver in this class.
This team is ready to make a run at this division. Washington is +260 to win the NFC East according to BetRivers.
Grade: A-
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys seem to have gone into this draft adamant to fix their defense. They spent their first six picks on that side of the ball, which seems like a drastic over-correction. Dallas could have used some more protection upfront for Dak considering their offensive line is aging.
Micah Parsons and Kelvin Jones have some upside and can be great players in this league, however, I just don’t like the “we must fix the defense” strategy. Dan Quinn should have been able to fix some of the issues with their defense last year. The Cowboys are the favorite at +125 to win the NFC East according to BetRivers.
Grade: C