The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Every NFL team goes into the draft with a to-do list based on its needs, its draft position and its willingness to trade up or down. Our scouts have been doing their homework and present an early look at the most likely scenarios each team will face on draft day. Below is a breakdown of the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have been active and efficient during the free-agency period. With two first-round selections and three selections in the top 42, owner Jerry Jones and head coach Bill Parcells have the ammunition to make a splash on draft weekend, as well.
Jones and Parcells are notorious for making draft-day deals, but if they move anywhere, we expect it will be down. Despite addressing needs with the additions of QB Drew Bledsoe, OG Marco Rivera, NT Jason Ferguson and DC Anthony Henry, the team still needs all the picks it can get to add young playmakers to an aging and thin roster.

The good news is that the team's top four needs were addressed with the aforementioned offseason moves. The bad news, however, is that Dallas still needs a starting right tackle, a rush linebacker to improve the pass-rush, a starting free safety after Darren Woodson's retirement and depth at defensive end in the new 3-4 scheme.

The Cowboys are likely to keep their top pick (No. 11 overall) and use it on the best available pass rusher, which could very well be Maryland DE/OLB Shawne Merriman. If that's the case, we could easily see Dallas trade the No. 20 selection for multiple picks, including the third-rounder the team gave up in a trade with the Texans.

If, however, they are unable to move down, the Cowboys will look to add an offensive tackle such as Washington's Khalif Barnes late in the first round and most likely will go after a free safety such as Oklahoma's Brodney Pool early in the second round.

The Cowboys have five picks in the final four rounds, one in each of the fourth (109), fifth (148) and seventh rounds and two in the sixth round (208 and 209). The early day-two picks are likely to be spent on the cornerback and wide receiver positions, where they will need some contributions.

The team needs a cornerback such as Howard's Ronald Bartell Jr., who has the size/speed potential to play in its man-to-man scheme, and a receiver such as Florida State's Craphonso Thorpe, who has flashed the potential to develop into a vertical threat in the NFL. After that, the team will concentrate on improving the depth at offensive guard, running back and quarterback.


Grading the past
Three-year tally
Year '02 '03 '04
Total picks 9 7 8
Starters 2 3 1
Backups 2 1 7
Other team 3 0 0
Out of NFL 2 3 0
Grade: B-

First-round pick Roy Williams ('02) is one of the best safeties in the league; TE Jason Witten ('03) was a steal in the third round; and RB Julius Jones (second round, '04) is coming off a strong second half of the season.

However, Jones has to prove he can stay healthy after missing eight games with injuries and first-round pick Terence Newman ('03) is coming off a disappointing season at corner. In addition, 2002 second-round picks Andre Gurode (OG) and Antonio Bryant (WR) failed to pan out.



New York Giants
The Giants have made some key upgrades to their roster this offseason. By solving glaring weaknesses at wide receiver with Plaxico Burress, middle linebacker with Antonio Pierce, right tackle with Kareem McKenzie and place-kicker with Jay Feely, general manager Ernie Accorsi has given his organization some flexibility on draft day.
The Giants need to get younger at safety, find a legitimate backup for 30-year-old RB Tiki Barber and improve their immediate depth at defensive tackle and cornerback. The good news, however, is that they don't feel the pressure of needing to draft an instant starter at any of those positions.

The team is obviously without its first-round pick after trading it away as part of last year's draft-day deal with the Chargers for QB Eli Manning. As a result, it won't pick until No. 43 (second round). With their only two day-one picks, the Giants are likely to draft the best available players at safety, defensive tackle or running back, then use their fourth-round selection (No. 110) to address the one position they didn't take care of Saturday.

If the Giants could find a defensive tackle such as USC's Mike Patterson early in the second round, a safety such as Stanford's Oshiomogho Atogwe early in the third round and a running back such as Tennessee's Cedric Houston early in the fourth round, it would have to be deemed a success.

After the fourth round, the Giants have just one pick throughout the rest of the draft, and it falls in the sixth round (No. 186 overall). Finding the best available athlete at cornerback or outside linebacker would have to be the priority in this scenario.


Grading the past
Three-year tally
Year '02 '03 '04
Total picks 7 11 7
Starters 1 2 3
Backups 3 6 2
Other team 0 2 2
Out of NFL 3 1 0
Grade: C+

The Giants did well to pick up OLB Reggie Torbor in the fourth round and SS Gibril Wilson in the fifth round of last year's draft. Both have the talent to develop into difference makers.

In addition, there's no question first-round pick Jeremy Shockey ('03) is one of the most dangerous tight ends in the league when he's healthy. However, Shockey and Wilson have had problems staying healthy, and first-round pick DT William Joseph ('03) has been a bust thus far.



Philadelphia Eagles
As expected, the defending NFC champions have lost more than they've gained to this point in free agency. They found an upgrade with Mike McMahon taking over as the backup quarterback behind Donovan McNabb, but the losses far outweigh the gains, as DE Derrick Burgess, OG Jermane Mayberry, and LBs Ike Reese and Nate Wayne have all departed.
Thanks to the vision and commitment to the plan by head coach Andy Reid and vice president of player personnel Tom Heckert, the Eagles have long been one of the best organizations in the business in terms of not overpaying for aging veterans. While Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse were exceptions last season, the team has primarily been able to reload from within.

With OG Shawn Andrews returning from injury and a good deal of depth along the offensive and defensive line, as well as at linebacker, the Eagles should once again overcome their key offseason departures. However, in order to ensure the long-term success of this organization, the Eagles need to take advantage of their five day-one picks and 13 overall picks in the upcoming draft.

In our opinion, the Eagles need to use their five picks in the top 94 to improve the depth of their defensive line as well as find prospects with playmaking potential at wide receiver, running back and tight end.

The Eagles' first pick doesn't come until No. 31 overall, but with 12 picks in the next six rounds, the team certainly has the ammunition to move up in the first round. One option would be to package a couple of later-round selections in order to move up for either one of the elite pass-rushing defensive ends -- such as Georgia's David Pollack or Wisconsin's Erasmus James -- or one of the second-tier first-round wide receiver prospects -- such as Oklahoma's Mark Clayton or UAB's Roddy White.

However, if the team elects to keep all five of its day-one picks, it could potentially benefit more, as it could walk away with an end such as Iowa's Matt Roth, a receiver such as Georgia's Fred Gibson, a running back such as Oklahoma State's Vernand Morency, a tight end such as Colorado State's Joel Dreessen and a defensive tackle such as South Carolina's Darrell Shropshire.

With the possibility of eight second-day selections, the Eagles can always move up a few spots in the fourth and fifth rounds to secure a player they covet. Regardless, the focus on day two will be on finding depth at safety, offensive tackle, cornerback and offensive guard.


Grading the past
Three-year tally
Year '02 '03 '04
Total picks 8 6 10
Starters 4 1 0
Backups 0 3 10
Other team 3 2 0
Out of NFL 1 0 0
Grade: B-

A strong 2002 draft yielded DC Lito Sheppard (first round), SS Michael Lewis (second round), DC Sheldon Brown (second round) and RB Brian Westbrook (third round).

However, Philadelphia followed it with a poor 2003 draft. DE Jerome McDougle (first round) has recorded two sacks over his first two seasons, and TE L.J. Smith (second round) hasn't progressed as hoped. WR Billy McMullen (third round) caught three passes last year.




Washington Redskins
The Redskins did an outstanding job of solidifying their offense with the additions of OC Casey Rabach and WRs Santana Moss (acquired in trade for Laveranues Coles) and David Patten. In the meantime, they got significantly worse on the defensive side of the ball, thanks to the free-agent departures of MLB Antonio Pierce (Giants) and DC Fred Smoot (Vikings).
As a result, the draft-day focus for Dan Snyder (owner), Vinny Cerrato (vice president of football operations) and Joe Gibbs (head coach) will be defense, defense and defense.

After trading their second-round pick to the Saints to draft TE Chris ey last year, the Redskins will need to do an effective job of addressing two of their three most immediate needs – at inside linebacker, defensive end and cornerback – with picks No. 9 and 76.

Seeing as there isn't an ideal match in terms of value at ILB or DE, the Redskins' best bet could be to draft one of the two elite cornerbacks -- West Virginia's Adam Jones or Miami's Antrel Rolle -- with their top pick. If both of those prospects are gone, DE/OLB Shawne Merriman and OLB Derrick Johnson would be other possibilities.

As far as third-round prospects go, the Redskins would be looking at defensive ends such as Vanderbilt's Jovan Haye, inside linebackers such as Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell and cornerbacks such as Maryland's Domonique Foxworth.

They also will have to wait until the fourth round (pick No. 112) to address that third need, the one they couldn't solve on day one, which means they'll be looking at defensive ends such as Florida State's Chauncey Davis, inside linebackers such as USC's Lofa Tatupu and cornerbacks such as Bethune Cookman's Nick Collins.

The Redskins are without a fifth-round pick but select early in the sixth and seventh rounds. At that point, the team will be looking for the best available players at defensive tackle, strong safety, offensive guard and tight end.


Grading the past
Three-year tally
Year '02 '03 '04
Total picks 10 3 4
Starters 2 1 2
Backups 3 1 2
Other team 3 0 0
Out of NFL 2 1 0
Grade: C

Although first-round pick Sean Taylor ('04) is a playmaker who should develop into one of the best safeties in the league, there are few other bright spots here.

QB Patrick Ramsey ('02), who was Washington's only other first-round pick over the past three drafts, has been inconsistent, and there are no guarantees he'll ever develop into a quality starter. Second-round picks Taylor Jacobs ('03) and Ladell Betts ('02) haven't made enough of an impact, either.