Early Sunday morning, we looked at the initial draft grades for the Cowboys, which were somewhere in the B to C+ region.
The DMN's Rick Gosselin, widely recognized Master Of The Mock Draft, graded the Cowboys ahead of the other NFC East teams. The Cowboys got a B, the Eagles, Giants and Redskins all got a C. But those grades are not shared by all observers.
Overall, the consensus seems to be that Cowboys made questionable 2nd and 3rd round picks, the Eagles went for quantity over quality, the Giants didn't address some obvious needs and the Redskins are still looking for a quarterback. After the break, we look at what the grades for the NFC East teams look like and what the draft pundits are saying about the NFC East teams
| Picks | Cowboys | Eagles | Giants | Redskins |
| Draft Picks | 9. Tyron Smith, OT, USC 40. Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina 71. DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma 110. David Arkin, OG, Missouri State 143. Josh Thomas, CB, Buffalo 176. Dwayne Harris, WR, E. Carolina 220. Shaun Chapas, FB, Georgia 252. Bill Nagy, OC/G, Wisconsin |
23. Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor 54. Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple 90. Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State 116. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon 120. Alex Henery, K, Nebraska 149. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh 161. J. Vandervelde, OG/C, Iowa 191. Jason Kelce, OC, Cincinnati 193. Brian Rolle, LB, Ohio State 237. Greg Lloyd, LB, UConn 240. Stanley Havili, FB, USC |
19. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska 52. Marvin Austin, DT, N. Carolina. 83. Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy 117. James Brewer, OT, Indiana 185. Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State 198. Tyler Sash, S, Iowa 202. Jacquian Williams, LB, S. Florida 221. Da'Rel Scott, RB, Maryland |
16. Ryan Kerrigan, LB, Purdue 41. Jarvis Jenkins, DE, Clemson 79. Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami 105. Roy Helu, RB, Nebraska 146. DeJon Gomes, S, Nebraska 155. Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska 177. Evan Royster, RB, Penn State 178. Aldrick Robinson, WR, SMU 213. B. Thompson, CB, Boise State 217. Maurice Hurt, OG, Florida 224. Markus White, LB, Florida State 253. Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia |
| Grades | Cowboys | Eagles | Giants | Redskins |
| Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News |
B | C | C | C |
| The Cowboys had a superb third day of this draft | The Eagles had the best fifth round | The New York Giants had the best sixth round, coming away with a pair of All-Big Ten defenders. | When the new quarterback arrives in Washington, he will have a slew of new weapons. But who is he and when does he get to D.C.? | |
| Mel Kiper, ESPN |
B- | C+ | B- | C+ |
| Dallas got good value later, but never took a player that seemed like a steal at the position | This feels like last year. I look at the Philly board and think, "Well, they got a lot of guys." | They got some serious value with their first two picks. But I do wonder if the Giants waited a little too long to gain any help along the offensive line | The Skins added players at pretty much every need outside of quarterback. Fair enough. I just don't think impact will be significant. | |
| Charean Williams, Star- Telegram |
B | B | B+ | C+ |
| The Cowboys didn't get a DE or a S, arguably their two biggest needs. | The Eagles' first three players were drafted higher than most analysts had them going. | The Giants drafted talent over need. But they didn't get help where they needed it -- in the offensive line and at outside linebacker -- until the third day. | They didn't get a QB and could have John Beck as their starter in 2011. | |
| Pete Prisco, CBS Sports |
B- | B | A | B |
| They added a starter in tackle Tyron Smith and then filled in some holes, though I think they could have gone in another direction when they picked Murray. | The Eagles always seem to do a good job in the draft. This year was no different. The key might be second-round safety Jaiquawn Jarrett. | I love that they got a premier cover player in Amukamara. Second-round pick Marvin Austin has first-round talent and could be a steal. | I'd give them a better grade if they picked a quarterback, but they made some nice moves with all the trades and ended up with some good football players | |
| Adam Caplan, Fox sports |
C+ | B- | B | B |
| They failed to address their weaknesses at safety and cornerback. | The Eagles were able to secure at least three future starters with their first three selections | Amukamara was a great value where they got him. And Austin and Jernigan should contribute right away | The Redskins added a lot of selections as the draft progressed, and they made the most out of them by addressing several needs | |
| NBCSports/ Rotoworld | B- | B | B | A- |
| The Cowboys got fine value with their first two picks, and acquiring the best left tackle in any draft as "late" as No. 9 overall is a coup. | When you have 11 draft picks, you typically come out looking pretty good | The Giants let Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo slip right through their fingers. | The only reason Mike Shanahan's club doesn't get a full "A" is because it didn't pick up a quarterback. | |
| John Dove, Mocking The Draft | B- | C+ | A | C |
| The Cowboys grade is a little low because I think they could have went a different direction with the Carter and Murray picks | This was a very solid draft with few wow selections | The Giants added four players that have the potential to make an immediate impact | Who is going to play quarterback for the Redskins? | |
| Brian Galliford, SBNation.com | B | B- | B | B |
| The team got great value in the fifth and sixth rounds, where they took cornerback Josh Thomas and receiver Dwayne Harris, respectively | This probably strikes most as a rather underwhelming draft class, but it's something the Eagles needed | Jerry Reese is one of the more underrated drafters in the league, and once again, he found solid value throughout the Giants' eight picks | The Redskins did well to pick up a bunch of additional picks so as to address their overall depth, as well | |
| Bucky Brooks, NFL.com | B+ | C+ | A | B |
| The Cowboys' draft didn't have a lot of sizzle, but is long on substance and production. | The Eagles certainly addressed their needs, but they might not see an early return on their investment. | Overall, the Giants added talent and depth without taking significant risk. | The infusion of talent should give the Redskins a roster capable of being competitive next season. |