Whether you like the NFC East or not, this division gets a lot of attention in sports media because of the franchises it carries. The Philadelphia Eagles won the division last year, but it wasn’t pretty. Even being labeled as the “reigning champs” of this division, any Eagles fan will tell you they didn’t deserve it. Still, they reloaded and are ready to try and repeat in 2026. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have offensive upside, but they definitely need to improve. Both teams are hoping it’s enough to knock the Eagles off their pedestal. Then the New York Giants are the clear rebuilding team in this division, but can surprise with quaterback Jaxson Dart at the helm.
It’s time to break down how the NFC East handled the offseason.
Philadephia Eagles
Most improved position: Edge rusher
It’s no surprise that the Eagles’ roster is loaded, and general manager Howie Roseman made this decision hard for me, ’cause they didn’t really have any holes to fill. The one area they lost the most in was pass rusher, with Jaelan Phillips, Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche all leaving in free agency.
It may be because I’m a believer in Jonathan Greenard, but he’s better than all three of those players he left in free agency and can make an immediate impact in Philadelphia. He is coming off a down year, with only 47 pressures and four sacks, but in the previous two seasons before 2025, he combined for 25 sacks.
The team lost depth but has a solid three-man rotation in Greenard, Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt.
Position needing improvement: Safety
Again, there’s no real hole in this team, but if I had to pick one, it’d be safety. The Eagles lost Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown this offseason. The two projected starters are Andrew Mukuba and Marucs Epps. Epps was coming off a torn ACL from the 2024 season and, in 2025, slowly got back up to speed. He didn’t see consistent playing time until Week 14 of the season and finished the year with just 308 snaps. This is Epps’ second term in Philadelphia, as he presumably spent the early parts of his career with the Eagles.
He totaled 20 tackles and eight run stops in 2025, so with a full season under his belt, he can make an impact. The long-term role is the question, as there isn’t much depth behind him. The team drafted Cole Wisniewski and has Michael Carter II, who could carve out playing time, but neither is a long-term option.
Dallas Cowboys
Most improved position: The entire defense
It’s the first time in this entire series that I’ve shouted out an entire side of the ball being the most improved, but I have to give the Cowboys credit — they’ve improved this defense tremendously over the past couple of months. Not only is Caleb Downs’ selection a culture-changing pick for the defense, but the talent they’ve added throughout is noticeable as well.
Some of the key additions include Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson.
This is a defense that ranked last in the NFL in points allowed per game last season, with 30.1. Dallas hired Christian Parker to help get this defense back on track, and with the talent added, that’s possible. Versatility was clearly the emphasis on the roster with the additions made. The 3-4 scheme Parker will run has the personnel to execute it. It all looks good on paper, but the Cowobys will still have to prove it on Sunday.
Position needing improvement: Offensive tackle
It isn’t a surprise to any Cowboys fan that tackle is listed here. Staring right tackle Terence Steele gave up 52 quaterback pressures in 2025, which ranked the most in the NFL. The starter on the left side, Tyler Guyton, gave up 31 in 10 games played, which ranked 35th most in the NFL.
With quaterback Dak Prescott entering his 11th season in the NFL, health is a virtue with older quarterbacks. It’s no longer a guarantee, and Prescott has had his fair share of injuries in the past. It’ll be in the Cowboys’ best interest to keep him upright as much as possible, which surprised me given they didn’t address the tackle position at all in the offseason.
Washington Commanders
Most improved position: Front-Seven
Like the Cowboys, the Commanders absolutely rebuilt their defense this offseason. The team brought in K’Lavon Chaisson, Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Odafe Oweh and Tim Settle to start for them in 2026. There are solid depth additions throughout, but with depth quarterback Jayden Daniels facing injury in 2025, this defense wasn’t in a spot to make a deep playoff run.
The Commanders ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed per game at 384.3, giving up six yards per play. Head coach Dan Quinn knew something had to change, and credit to him and general manager Adam Peters for their efforts to improve it.
The secondary for Washington is still a work in progress, but year two of Trey Amos and the additions of Nick Cross and Amik Robertson are steps in the right direction. The front-seven, though, is where the major improvements came in, and the additions of Styles and Oweh are exciting ones to watch.
Position needing improvement: Wide receiver
I absolutely love the selection of Antonio Williams in the draft, but he doesn’t move the needle enough for me, and where this receiver room stands. The harsh truth is Terry McLaurin can’t stay healthy, and it’s a shame, because when he’s on the field, he’s a difference maker. Luke McCaffery, unless he makes a jump this year, will likely be washed out by Williams in the slot. The team has intriguing depth options in Treylon Burks, Jaylin Lane and Dyami Brown, but none of those players move the needle.
Teams need to take advantage of rookie quarterbacks on team-friendly deals like the one Daniels is on right now. If McLaurin can’t stay healthy, I don’t know how dominant this room can be when facing the top-tier talent in the NFC. Daniels can elevate the offense, but how much he needs to is the question.
New York Giants
Most improved position: Linebacker
The Giants had one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, but it didn’t translate into a strong rushing defense. The team ranked 31st in the NFL, giving up 145.3 yards per game. New head coach John Harbaugh clearly knew this as he rehaureld the entire linebacker room, bringing in Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds.
The depth behind those two isn’t great, but if both can stay healthy, they can become one of the best linebacker duos in the league. Reese has the upside as a pass rusher as well, giving defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson versatility to line him up wherever he wants.
Position needing improvement: Cornerback
The pick of Colton Hood in the second round, quite frankly, saved this cornerback room, cause the selection of Deonte Banks clearly hasn’t worked out. The singing of Greg Newsome II helps the room in terms of depth, but don’t be surprised if Hood is the full-time starter early into the season.
The other starting corner in Paulson Adebo had an up-and-down season, but closed the year out strong, only giving up 50 yards in the final three games of the year. The beginning of the year wasn’t quite as nice as there were multiple weeks where he gave up over six receptions. Just looking at the roster, corner is this team’s weakest link.
