Mocking the NFC East

With just a week before the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, I have spent hours every evening studying prospects, creating positional rankings and tweaking big boards - all for the Redskins.

What I became interested in along the way were the other three teams in the NFC East. I began playing around with some online simulators and looking at teams needs to see who may be a target for our rivals - and I found it to be both fun and educating!

In the scenario below, I decided to do a simulation where I controlled all the picks in the NFC East. Mind you, this was tough to do, as many of these prospects were on my Redskins big board at certain parts of this draft. I stayed bipartisan though(at least I like to think I tried), and made what I thought were Value Vs. Need picks for each team.

I used The Draft Network’s online simulation tool for this article. There are no trades in this simulation - so take that how you will. You can view the entire draft here.

Below are the results for each team, with analysis of the team’s first round selection(all selections for the Redskins are analyzed).

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Redskins:

1ST(pick #2) - Chase Young EDGE Ohio St.

- The Redskins sit tight at number two and take the best player in the draft. Young and Montez Sweat offer the Redskins a young, dynamic EDGE due for years to come.

3RD(pick #66) - Tee Higgins WR Clemson

- The Redskins take advantage of this deep receiving class, landing a very good player who slipped because of poor testing numbers. There are questions about his ability to separate at the next level, but make no mistake - this kid is a player.

4TH(pick #108) - Thaddeus Moss TE LSU

- Moss is the most complete TE in this draft with his amazing hands and blocking ability. He could also be lined up as an H-Back in 21 personnel.

4TH(pick #142) - Reggie Robinson II CB Tulsa

- Robinson is a long, athletic corner who can play man or zone. He’ll need some time to refine his technique, but he has starting ability on the outside.

5TH(Pick #162) - Alex Taylor OT South Carolina St.

- The Redskins needed an offensive tackle, but they missed the day two prospects, and the better developmental ones were off the board by the end of round three. Taylor has a lot to work with, but he’ll likely be a multi-year project.

7TH(Pick #216) - Yasir Durant IOL Missouri

- Durant is a massive man at 6’6” and over 330 pounds, but he has heavy feet and will likely have to kick inside to guard, despite playing both tackle spots in college.

7TH(Pick #229) - Myles Dorn S North Carolina

- Dorn has some intriguing ability as a versatile safety prospect - being able to play both in the box and as a single high. If nothing more, he can contribute immediately on special teams.

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Giants:

1ST(Pick #4) - Isaiah Simmons LB Clemson

- I thought about offensive tackle here, but Simmons was too good to pass up on. He’ll be a Swiss Army Knife in the Giants defense.

2ND(Pick #36) - Ezra Cleveland OT Boise St.

3RD(Pick #99 ) - Bryan Edwards WR South Carolina

4TH(Pick #110) - Kenny Robinson S XFL/West Virginia

5TH(Pick #150) - Jonathan Garvin EDGE Miami

6TH(Pick #183) - Kyle Murphy IOL Rhode Island

7TH(Pick #218) - Dane Jackson CB Pitt

7TH(Pick #238) - Cole McDonald QB Hawaii

7TH(Pick #247) - J.J. Taylor RB Arizona

7TH(Pick #255) - Lavert Hill CB Michigan

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Cowboys:

1ST(Pick #17) - Jeff Gladney CB TCU

- The second best EDGE went one pick before Dallas was on the clock, so I went with a replacement for Byron Jones here at corner. Gladney has been flying up draft boards lately, and although he’s not the biggest guy in the world, man can this kid play! It doesn’t hurt that he’s a local kid too.

2ND(Pick #51) - Terrell Lewis EDGE Alabama

3RD(Pick #82) - Cole Kmet TE Notre Dame

4TH(Pick #123) - Tyler Biadasz IOL Wisconsin

5TH(Pick #164) - J.R. Reed S Georgia

5TH(Pick #179) - Quintez Cephus WR Wisconsin

7TH(Pick #231) - Michael Divinity Jr. LB LSU

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Eagles:

1ST(Pick #) - Patrick Queen LB LSU

- The Eagles have a massive need at Wide Receiver, but with the depth this class has, I decided not to reach at that position, and rather let the draft come to me after round one. Queen is a do-it-all linebacker who does not have to leave the field. He flies around and hits anything that moves - and he can cover!

2ND(Pick #53) - Michael Pittman WR USC

3RD(Pick #103) - Troy Pride Jr. CB Notre Dame

4TH(Pick #127) - John Simpson IOL Clemson

4TH(Pick #145) - Derrek Tuszka EDGE North Dakota St.

4TH(Pick #146) - Tyler Johnson WR Minnesota

5TH(Pick #168) - Broderick Washington Jr. DT Texas Tech

6TH(Pick #190) - Antoine Brooks Jr. S Maryland

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