The New York Giants have been met with merit following the 2024 NFL Draft. Their draft class has been praised after general manager Joe Schoen made six valuable selections during the event. However, the Giants are not the only team in the NFC East receiving praise.
Across the board, the NFC East improved this weekend. The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders’ respective draft classes stood out among the pack as some of the strongest in the league. The Giants went 3-3 in the division last year — a record they would like to improve in 2024. But earning wins in the NFC East has become an even more difficult task as a result of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles got a lot harder to throw against
The Philadelphia Eagles got two of the biggest steals of the NFL Draft with their first two selections. They reset their defensive backfield with those two picks, taking Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell in Round 1 and Iowa DB Cooper DeJean in Round 2 — the top-two ranked cornerbacks in the draft class.
Mitchell was the first cornerback off the board in Round 1 and he was expected to go much higher than where he was selected. Many mock drafts had Mitchell as a top-15 pick, but the Eagles stole him with pick No. 22.
A similar story can be told of DeJean. The Iowa cornerback/safety was a projected top-20 pick, but the Eagles traded up to land him all the way in the second round at pick No. 40.
The Eagles’ defensive backfield looks much stronger on paper. Their pass defense became an area of weakness in 2023. But with these two selections, Philadelphia’s secondary could become a strength in 2024.
The Giants will face a much tougher Washington Commanders team in 2024
In 2023, the Giants swept the Washington Commanders, winning both of their matchups against their rivals from the nation’s capital. Both wins were earned relatively easily, but that should change in 2024. The Commanders are a much-improved roster on paper following the NFL Draft.
After selecting their next franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick, the Commanders added two more high-impact rookies in the second round.
They drafted Illinois DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton with the No. 36 overall pick — an absolute steal considering big boards had him ranked as a top-15 prospect in the class. Newton is one of just three interior defenders who have recorded 100 or more pressures over a two-year stretch since PFF began charting college in 2014.
They followed that selection with Michigan CB Mike Sainristil at No. 50 — another prospect who was projected to go much higher than where he was drafted. Sainristil was considered one of the best nickel cornerbacks in this year’s draft class and should make an instant impact in Washington’s defense. Sainristil snagged six interceptions in 2023 and earned a 90.3 PFF grade since 2022.
Washington also gave its new quarterback an exciting weapon in Ben Sinnott, a tight end out of TCU. He’s an athletic tight end whose 14 missed tackles forced in 2023 ranked third among tight ends, per PFF.
How will the Giants respond to its strengthened division?
To their credit, the Giants also had themselves a solid weekend in Detroit. Their draft class has been praised by analysts across the board and received high grades. Not only did the Giants improve on the offensive side of the ball, but they improved defensively, too.
First-round pick Malik Nabers will be a game-changing wide receiver. But Big Blue’s defensive lineup has also been bolstered with the additions of second-round safety Tyler Nubin and third-round cornerback Andru Phillips.
The NFC East got a lot tougher to play in this weekend but the Giants also became a tougher matchup for their opponents. In what will be a decisive third season for head coach Brian Daboll, picking up more wins within the division will be a point of emphasis for the Giants.