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What did the rest of the NFC East do on Day 3?

Hogs Haven looks at Round 1 for the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles to see what it means for NFC East rosters in 2022

How did the rest of the NFC East do on Day 3 of the draft? Let’s hear from each of their fanbases below:

Dallas

Dallas Cowboys v New Orleans Saints Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

The Cowboys had six picks on Day 3 of the draft, including 4 in the 5th round. How did Cowboy experts think the team did?

Blogging the Boys

Cowboys 2022 draft leans heavily on 30 visits and athleticism on Day 3

We now have a new Cowboys draft class.

Round 4 (129) TE Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin

While it was not as severe, tight end was also a spot the Cowboys needed to shore up on their roster while working out their plans for Dalton Schultz. After seeing some prospects they liked go before they went on the clock, they still got one of the top 10 TEs on Dane Brugler’s list. (Scouting info for this article taken from Brugler’s The Beast at The Athletic.)

Ferguson was an All Big 10 selection last year, and is more of a possession style pass catcher. notching 30 catches all four of his seasons with the Badgers. No other tight end in this year’s class could claim that. He lacks speed, but looks to have good value as a blocker. He won’t be challenging Schultz anytime soon, but is definitely in the mix to compete with Jeremy Sprinkle and Sean McKeon for snaps.

Brugler’s summation: Overall, Ferguson doesn’t have much style, but he has substance because of his above average ball skills and competitiveness as a blocker. He has the upside to be an NFL team’s No. 2 tight end.

Round 5 (155) OT Matt Waltzko, North Dakota

With Tyler Smith expected to kick inside to guard, Waltzko looks like OT depth with a possible future as a swing tackle. He is from a non-Power 5 conference, a new trend for the Cowboys after a strong preference for big school products the past few seasons. He is long and bendy with good movement skills. This will likely be a developmental project if he sticks with the Cowboys.

Summation: Overall, Waletzko has length that cannot be coached along with functional foot/body quickness, but he must continue developing his strength and stature before he is ready for live NFL reps. He has legitimate NFL upside but will require patience.

Round 5 (167): CB DaRon Bland, Fresno State

The small school trend continued here. However, Bland was one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits. Dallas uses those visits to identify targets, and Bland appears to have impressed. His importance as a draftee is amplified by the shadow hanging over Kelvin Joseph with his off-field incident. Brugler had him as a seventh-round option. His size does seem to fit the Cowboys’ template.

Summation: Overall, Bland has only average hips and will lose his feel for the route at times, but his length, speed and toughness are desirable traits for NFL teams to develop.

Round 5 (176): LB Damone Clark, LSU

This time Dallas went fishing in the big, big pond of the SEC. They also went with a possible injury special, as Clark may be facing a “redshirt” year as he recovers from spinal surgery that he delayed until after the NFL Combine. Had he not been injured, he would have gone much earlier after leading the SEC in tackles last year.

Summation: Overall, Clark is a good-sized athlete and consistently stays ahead of schedule due to his play speed and ball-hunting skills, but he needs to expand his tunnel vision vs. the run and pass to be a complete NFL player. A projected day two draft pick based on talent, he is expected to miss his rookie season in the NFL due to recent spinal surgery, which will be an anchor on his draft projection.

Round 5 (178): DT John Ridgeway, Arkansas

It was another SEC product just two picks later for the Cowboys. They always seem to wait until the later rounds to address the interior of the D line, so this was very much in character. He is another superior athlete who will need to work on technique to fully thrive in the NFL. His biggest value will be on running downs, where he has the size to really help close down those lanes in the middle.

Summation: Ridgeway will be limited to early downs in the NFL, but he is burly, long and strong with the base power to stand up double teams and two-gap. He has NFL starting potential as a nose tackle.

Round 6 (193): LB Devin Harper, Oklahoma State

The final Dallas pick of 2022 is both a Power 5 product and one of the 30 visits. Harper adds needed depth to a linebacker group that is short on numbers and makes it easier to give Clark time to rehab. He is speedy and a hard hitter, with some value as a blitzer but not as good in coverage.

Summation: Overall, Harper’s coverage lapses on tape are bothersome, but he shows the downhill speed and demeanor to be a nickel defender and special teams standout.

Like the first two days of the draft, the picks on Day 3 started out a bit weak but got stronger later on. The Cowboys did a good job in filling some holes, but did not have enough picks to address running back, safety, and kicker. Look for those to be addressed as UDFAs.


New York

NFL Combine Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

The Giants had 6 picks on Day 3 of the draft.

Big Blue View

‘Things I think’ about the Giants after the 2022 NFL Draft

Joe Schoen ran the draft his way, and I think Giants fans should be thrilled that he did

The Thibodeaux and Neal picks have been widely praised, but there are no guarantees they won’t bust. Draft analysts might be proven right about Robinson. Or, maybe Schoen will have the last laugh.

Same with other picks.

The Giants needed a tight end — they got Daniel Bellinger.

The Giants needed a safety — they got Dane Belton.

The Giants needed offense line help — they got three of them.

The Giants needed cornerback help — they selected Cordale Flott.

The Giants needed a nose tackle — D.J. Davidson can do that.

The Giants needed linebackers — they got two of them.

Schoen knew what he wanted, and needed, to do. He accomplished it. Now, we just wait to find out if he and the Giants’ scouts and coaches targeted the right players.

Versatility was important.

“Guys that have versatility, we wanted to add depth at competition to the roster, which I think we did. Again not every guy is going to come as a starter. It takes time. Guys have to develop,” Schoen said. “Over time, you have to have depth players and frontline players. I think the idea was to get the best we could. Defensively, the guys with versatility. And offensively, as you’re around Brian, you’ll see, he’ll take the pieces and whatever we have and develop the offensive scheme around those pieces that we have, and Wink kind of adheres to the same philosophy.”

How Schoen identifies developmental upside.

The deeper you get into the draft, the more warts players have and the more development they will need. Here is a hint from Schoen about the type of players he is looking for

“When you look at guys with developmental upside, if they have height, speed and character, the history of those guys developing is a little bit higher than others,” he said. “Definitely when you get into day three, you do take that into account. It is important, I think.”


Philadelphia

New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

The Eagles only had two picks on Day 3 of the draft, two 6th rounders.

Bleeding Green Nation

2022 NFL Draft Results: Eagles welcome 5 new rookies (and A.J. Brown) to Philadelphia

The Birds’ 2022 NFL Draft class is officially complete.

KYRON JOHNSON

Athletic SAM linebacker who can contribute on special teams and provide depth behind Haason Reddick. Offers some pass rushing juice. Not necessarily a lock to make the roster.

NFL Draft Results: Eagles trade up and pick Kyron Johnson at No. 181

GRANT CALCATERRA

Athletic, undersized tight end who once retired due to concussions. Will compete for a roster spot as TE2 or TE3.

NFL Draft Results: Eagles pick Grant Calcattera at No. 198

WORK TO BE DONE

The Eagles didn’t directly address their secondary in the draft. No cornerbacks or safeties. They’ll have to turn back to free agency to fill some holes there this season. Honey Badger might be an option. The Eagles might look to sign a veteran corner ... or just stick with their youth there.

With only five picks, the Eagles should really be looking to attack UDFA.

Running back is a spot the Birds will be looking at in UDFA.

The Eagles should really add a UDFA punter to compete with Arryn Siposs, who struggled late during the 2021 season.

Poll

Who had the best Day 3 of the NFL draft?

This poll is closed

  • 6%
    Dallas
    (29 votes)
  • 15%
    New York
    (68 votes)
  • 14%
    Philadelphia
    (62 votes)
  • 63%
    Washington
    (280 votes)
439 votes total Vote Now