Draft Nation’s Focus: NFC East

It’s been a journey, but we’ve finally reached the final division in the Draft Nation’s Focus series, the NFC East. The NFC East has had several ups and downs recently. Just a couple of years ago, in 2020, the NFC East was won by a 7-9 Commanders. This past year, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl after beating the Washington Commanders. 

Ian Stuart Martin will be breaking down the prospects that the Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, and Eagles will be looking to select in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Giants:

The New York Giants and head coach Brian Daboll are in a rough spot. Realistically, Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are on the hot seats, and if they don’t turn around this ship, they will be fired. From the Daniel Jones contract to letting Saquon Barkley go, and then for Barkley to win a Super Bowl with a division rival, means the Giants need to make a splash. The following are the two players who are the most likely to be selected with Pick 3.

Abdul Carter (EDGE, Penn State) - For the Giants this is a very obvious pick. Carter has shown he has the blend of speed, bend, strength, and technique to make an impact on day one. His one weakness is that he still needs more time to polish his bag of clubs, his pass rush moves before he can truly become a Pro Bowl caliber player. Carter is undersized at 6’3” and 250 lbs. but he certainly doesn’t play like it. He hits well above his weight due to the sheer athleticism he displays on every snap in college. From his developing chops to lightning-fast spin moves, Carter has the arsenal of pass-rush moves to dominate at the next level once he's tightened his hand placement and usage. Carter will struggle initially against top NFL tackles who use their reach to hold him back or go through him on run plays. However, Carter makes up for this by being able to diagnose screen and outside run plays incredibly quickly. Paired with his elite first step and short-area burst means Carter will blow up those plays before NFL tackles can use their size advantage.

The Giants have spent three years developing Kayvon Thibodeau, their 2022 5th overall pick, and only now are seeing Thibodeau start to play to his potential. Thibodeau still isn’t the elite pass-rusher he was hyped up to be, but he has become a good pairing with Brian Burns on the opposite side. Carter will step in and be much more polished and able to play than Thibodeau was as a rookie. Carter will give Schoen the flexibility not to take Thibodeau’s fifth-year option if Carter ends up developing fast enough to fully substitute for Thibodeau. The Giants’ front office needs to get a win given how poorly recent moves have gone. Carter gives the front office a splash player who can make up for or even replace previous failures.

Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Colorado) - Rumors around the league suggest the Cleveland Browns are leaning toward selecting Hunter with the second-overall pick. If the Browns select Abdul Carter from Penn State instead of Hunter, it will be likely to pair him with Myles Garrett to make the scariest edge tandem in the NFL. It will also allow the Giants to get an even flashier player to help Schoen and Daboll get back in the good graces of ownership. Carter won’t hit his apex until after his rookie year, but Hunter could step in and have a rookie year rivaling Justin Jefferson’s 2020 rookie year.

Travis Hunter is the best prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is the first player since Chuck Bednarik in 1960 to make a compelling case to play both ways. Hunter has truly elite mobility and body control as both a wide receiver and a cornerback. At the NFL level, Hunter will play wide receiver since, while he has elite potential at cornerback, cornerback would be more likely to injure him due to his 6’0”, 188 lb. frame being less durable. This isn’t to say Hunter won’t play borh ways. The Giants could utilize Hunter as a package cornerback on passing downs, where there is little to no chance of a run play attacking him. Hunter could step in to shut down corner role lining up against opposing team's number 1 receiver while gashing the opposing defense once the Giants get the ball back. 

If Hunter is Selected:

Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado) - If Hunter is selected by the Giants they could consider trading back into the first to select Sanders. This would only be if Sanders isn’t selected by the Saints with the 9th overall pick. After the Saints, most teams don’t need a quarterback until the Steelers at pick 21. Sanders and Hunter have amazing chemistry already. While the Giants already have Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the roster, Sanders becomes a better prospect by having Hunter to throw to. The main question for Sanders is if he will improve once he has refined some mechanical and technical issues. With Hunter on the roster, the transition is would be smoother for Sanders.

Cowboys:

The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Brian Schottenheimer need to show the NFL they are still a playoff team quickly. With an aging roster based around Dak Prescott and a young star in Micah Parsons. To make it easier for the Cowboys to sign yearly DPOY candidate Parsons long term, they need to show he can win a Super Bowl if he stays. If the Cowboys don’t, they could run into a similar situation the Browns just had with Myles Garrett. Luckily, the Cowboys have some flashy prospects available at Pick 12 sure to convince Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons they are on the upswing.

Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) - From Golden playing at Texas, to running the fastest 40-time of all wide receivers at the combine with a 4.29, Matthew Golden is a Jerry Jones sort of player. He is speed incarnate. For the record, Golden’s tape signals he doesn’t play at 4.29 speed, but so much of his game is about the other elite time he set at the combine, his 10-yard dash time. Golden’s top speed on the field isn’t like 2024 speedster Xavier Worthy, but his 1.49 10-yard dash time does show up constantly on film. His first step and acceleration force corners to instantly flip their hips. What breaks corners’ ankles is Golden's ability to control his speed so well. He can accelerate to top speed quickly but then will often gear down so corners have a hard time mirroring him and allowing him to better time his routes.

The Cowboys desperately need a speedy deep threat to push safeties higher, clearing room for CeeDee Lamb to operate underneath. Outside of 28-year-old kick return specialist KaVontae Turpin and 27-year-old rotational receiver Parris Campbell, who had only 6 receptions last year, no other player on the Cowboys runs under a 4.44. 

Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina) - Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are the glitz and glamour team of the NFL. So, what is more show-stopping than a 6’0” 221 lb. Mack truck with a 4.46 40-time hellcat engine inside of it. Hampton is not the ideal usage of the 12th overall pick, as the Cowboys could trade down with the Buccaneers for pick 19 and still be nearly guaranteed to have Hampton available. But few teams in the NFL draft are looking to trade up, with many more looking to trade down. Without any suitors, the Cowboys would need to address losing their top running back last year, Rico Dowdle, to free agency and the Carolina Panthers.

Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer is heavily influenced by the run-heavy scheme of Pete Carroll. Omarion Hampton would give the Cowboys a Carroll-style premier running back that can take pressure off of a 31-year-old Dak Prescott, coming back from a severe hamstring injury last year. Hampton’s ability to be a bruising back that invites and seems to lean into contact on film, while also having punishing home-run speed, makes him a good option for the Cowboys who need a consistent base to rebuild their playoff hopes.

Commanders:

The Washington Commanders first-year head coach Dan Quinn, and quarterback Jayden Daniels shocked the NFL last year, going from a 4-13 bottom-feeder to a 12-5 Conference finalist. Now in both Quinn’s and Daniel’s second year the Commanders need to build upon their success and replace key free agency losses. Some truly standout prospects could be on the board for the Commanders at pick 29.

Nic Scourton (EDGE, Texas A&M) - After losing last year’s sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. and key defensive anchor Jonathan Allen to free agency the Commanders need to find key players that can fill in. Adding Eddie Goldman and Javon Kinlaw certainly helps the interior defensive line by adding two 320 lb. maulers. But with all that weight in the middle, the Commanders could look to pick a slimmed-down Nic Scourton to be their edge-rusher opposite Frankie Luvu.

Scourton possesses an elite spin move and what makes Scourton an interesting prospect is that he has lost a lot of weight. Scourton was one of the most agile 6’3” 285 lb. edge rushers in the class, but he showed up to the combine at 257 lbs. It’s unknown, but if Scourton’s elite mobility and spin move can improve even more by shedding the weight could turn into a monster off the edge. 

The Commanders and Dan Quinn need to be efficient with their picks and find players that fall because of uncertainty. Quinn has a history of developing edge rushers, from Vic Beasley in Atlanta to Micah Parsons in Dallas. Scourton was a great edge-rusher at 285 lbs. in college, but Dan Quinn can help him become a game-changing edge-rusher at 257 lbs.

James Pearce Jr. (EDGE, Tennessee) - Similar to Nic Scourton, James Pearce Jr. has elite traits that make him an excellent prospect for head coach Dan Quinn. Initially, Pearce will play a role similar to rookie Brian Burns. Burns only played 43% of defensive snaps his rookie year but had 7.5 sacks. This is because Burns needed time to build muscle to be on the field on rushing downs but had the tools to dominate on passing downs. Pearce’s key strength is his speed off the blocks. Pair an elite accelerator and great bend with surprising length, and you have James Pearce Jr.

As stated, Pearce will need time to develop his run defense but as a rookie will add key pass-rush talent to the Commanders. Right now, Pearce will struggle against the bigger tackles in the NFL that will push him off his rush path. However, with Dan Quinn utilizing the big-bodied defensive tackles the Commanders signed in the offseason will be able to more effectively open up one-on-one opportunities that favor the speedy and technically sound Pearce.

Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni are coming off a dominant Super Bowl win. The Eagles must now turn to the 2025 NFL Draft to find players that can help them maintain their dominance over the NFL. However, while the Eagles have clear needs at safety and replacing edge rusher Josh Sweat, their history of drafting the best player available points to the Eagles potentially selecting areas that are already strengths. The following are some intriguing players that could be selected by the Eagles at Pick 32.

Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame) - Had Morrison not had a season-ending torn labrum in his left hip during October of 2024 and before that had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in the spring of 2024, Morrison would have been the top corner of this class. Despite his injury history, Morrison is still considered a borderline first-round talent. What Morrison needs is time to fully heal and recover. 

Going back to 2023 and early 2024 tape, Morrison is incredibly fluid playing from the press. He has an excellent blend of body control and short-area burst allows him to compensate for any route fakes that catch him off guard. Morrison showed this with his 14 combined pass breakups in 18 games over the past two years. What stands out is when Morrison is put into zone coverage. He has great football IQ and uses his burst to attack throws in his direction quickly, covering receivers he was sagging off on. 

Last year the Eagles got incredibly lucky finding two solid corners in the 2024 NFL draft with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. However, the Eagles also need to watch out for their depth. Behind DeJean and Mitchell are players like Kelee Ringo, who only played 11% of defensive snaps last year, and a 30-year-old Adoree’ Jackson free agency signing for 1.7 million. If either DeJean or Mitchell gets injured or has sophomore slumps then the Eagles desperately need a backup plan. Benjamin Morrison gets to spend time recovering but can step in and play if either DeJean or Mitchell goes down.

Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina) - No prospect screams “Eagles project” like Shavon Revel. A fluid, fast-moving, highly agile, 6’3”, 194 lb. corner who is incredibly raw is the sort of player the Eagles love picking. Revel is arguably in the top 5 of draft prospects with Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, if only considering athleticism. Revel started at the JUCO level before transferring to East Carolina. Revel showed high commitment at East Carolina, being a very willing run defender compared to most college cornerbacks. His high motor and drive to contribute to his team, despite his rough fundamentals, showed on special teams. Revel will be one of the best special teams gunners in the NFL and will immediately become a key special team player early in his career. 

Revel will take several years before he can fully play as a starting corner, but selecting him in the first round gives teams an extra year of team control with the 5th year option. Picking Revel at Pick 32 will give the Eagles time to develop him. While this won’t address the hole at safety for the Eagles, it will give them another player who in five years will make people question why they weren’t taken earlier.

On the field, Revel made great progress on his technique in man coverage and zone coverage from 2022 to 2024. If he hadn’t had his ACL tear September of 2024 in practice he could have shown even more improvement. This ACL tear and his lack of experience does make Revel a very boom-or-bust prospect. Even if Revel does develop, it could take three to four years before he truly becomes a starting corner. Revel’s ACL tear could also limit the insane tools he has. Players like Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers show that even injuries that appear minor can heal badly and will drastically affect a player who was on track to NFL fame.