The 2019 NFL Draft has come to a close. How did the Washington Redskins’ draft compare to the rest of the NFC East?

The NFC East is often the most unpredictable division in football. The division title can often come down to which team had the strongest draft class. After about a week of sitting on the picks, I’ve graded and ranked each selection for each team, culminating with the Washington Redskins. The picks are graded by a combination of where the player ranked on my board, the team needs, scheme fit, and what other players were available.

New York Giants

Breakdown:

The Giants actually a put together a nice draft after their first two picks. Reaching on your first two selections will make it difficult to recover. Especially if you’re first two selections are 6th and 17th, respectively. They added talent throughout the draft, but three big reaches and a weak finish have the Giants finishing with the weakest draft in the division.

Daniel Jones was my fourth-ranked quarterback and graded out with a second-round grade, so it’s not that he is a bad player. However, players like Josh Allen and Ed Oliver were available and everyone but Dave Gettleman can tell that Jones would’ve been available at 17. On the other hand, they got who they view as their franchise draft, so I can’t grade them worse than a C-.

Best Pick: Darius Slayton, WR, Auburn

The best value for this draft class was cornerback Julian Love, who had a second-round grade. However, since the Giants already traded up to get a cornerback, the pick loses some value. That means Darius Slayton is the best pick because he was a fourth-round grade on my talent and the Giants had a big need at receiver.

Worst Pick: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

Prior to drafting Lawrence, defensive tackle was arguably the Giants strongest position. Lawrence was a late second round grade on my board, and the Giants drafted him with a number of other needs they could’ve addressed. Ryan Connelly was also in contention for this award, but the overall impact that you should get from the 17th overall pick made Lawrence the selection.

Draft Grade: D+

Dallas Cowboys

Breakdown:

Going into the draft, I viewed the Cowboys as having two major needs. Unfortunately, they chose not to address one of them until the sixth round, and they chose not to address the other altogether. While I did think the Cowboys drafted some exciting players with big upside, I don’t view the team stepping onto the field week one as a much better team the walked off the field last season. The Cowboys, unlike the Washington Redskins, did not do much to help their quarterback.

Best Pick: Mike Weber, RB, Ohio St.

Weber was a back I was much higher on than others, I had a third round grade on him. Whether they selected Weber to be Elliott’s eventual replacement, or simply to bring him in to reduce some of the workload, Weber fits in well and will be a strong backup.

Worst Pick: Donovan Wilson, SAF, Texas A&M

Not only did I not believe Wilson had draftable tape, but I also viewed safety as the Cowboys’ biggest need. So the fact that they waited until the sixth round to address it, and still managed to reach for a player causes this to be the worst pick.

Draft Grade: C-



Philadelphia Eagles

Breakdown:

The Eagles did an excellent job filling needs for the future. However, I would’ve liked to see them fill some more pressing needs like linebacker and defensive back. Dillard, Sanders, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside are all going to do a good job of replacing Peters, Howard, and Jeffery, but I’m not sure how much impact they’ll have in the coming season.

Typically if you’re a team looking to win your division and contend for a Super Bowl, you want to use your early picks to add players who will immediately make an impact. Instead, the Eagles chose to invest in the future. Therefore, this draft class speaks volumes on how GM Howie Roseman views the state of this roster. The Eagles fully expect to contend with, or without immediate returns from this draft class.

Best Pick: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington St.

For the past few years, it’s been painfully obvious that current left tackle Jason Peters isn’t what he used to be. It’s to be expected from a player going into his 15th season. Dillard provides a great option to replace Peters in the near future. Dillard has great upside and was arguably the best pass protecting lineman in this class. This is an investment for the future of Carson Wentz‘s blindside.

Worst Pick: Clayton Thorson, QB, Northwestern

I don’t fault the Eagles for taking a QB, especially with Wentz’s past health issues. However, I do fault them for taking a bad Quarterback two rounds early. For context, I had six QBs rated higher than Thorson who were still available at the pick the Eagles selected him at.

Draft Grade: B+

Washington Redskins

Breakdown:

The Redskins had the best draft of the division, plain and simple. They had arguably the best draft class in the entire NFL. They got their franchise QB at 15 and traded back up to get an elite pass rusher at 26, all while keeping their 2020 first-round pick. In addition, they also added two dangerous receiving threats and much need depth throughout the roster.

With their first pick, the Redskins drafted Haskins. Nearly every other pick following was made with his best interest in mind. Strong adds to the defense and special teams, while also getting him two receivers and two offensive linemen. Excellent draft as a whole and one that could turn the franchise around.

Best Pick: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio St.

Getting your franchise guy at 15 without moving up is huge. Haskins fits excellent with Jay Gruden and the system he runs. He’s got a bigger chip on his shoulder than ever, and don’t be surprised if he’s starting week one against Philadelphia.

Worst Pick: Bryce Love, RB, Stanford.

What’s insane is that I think this was actually a good pick. Love is an excellent talent who has an injury history and is coming off an ACL tear. Love could’ve been a top 50 pick in last years draft but decided to stay in school. I just question the value because of the depth the Washington Redskins already have at the running back position.

Draft Grade: A-