2026 NFL Draft: Grading the Draft Classes from the NFC East

2
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 18: Malachi Lawrence #51 of the UCF Knights waves to the crowd against the West Virginia Mountaineers after the game at at FBC Mortgage Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The main event of the NFL offseason is in the books, as Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up last night. It was a huge one for many teams, but especially the Dallas Cowboys.

They held two first-round picks, and they needed some home runs as they aim to stay in “win now” mode. Inside their division, the stakes were high elsewhere, as well. The Giants want to end their rebuild, the Commanders want to regain momentum, and Philly is trying to stay at the top of the league.

Here, I’ll go through how each did in their respective classes, and will grade them based on those picks.

Let’s get into it.


Dallas Cowboys Draft Grade: A

Headlined by superstar Caleb Downs, the Cowboys started hot and stayed considerably strong through the rest of their defensive-heavy class.

Here is how I grade their individual picks.

Draft Class & Specific Grades:

1.11 (via MIA) – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: A+

1.23 (via PHI) – Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF: B

3.92 (via SF) – Jaishawn Barham, EDGE/LB, Michigan: B+

4.112 – Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State – C+

4.114 – Devin Moore, CB, Florida – B+

4.137 – LT Overton, DL, Alabama – B-

7.218 – Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina – B-


New York Giants Draft Grade: A

The second A in the NFC East, the Giants swung big and started off hot. Their additions of Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa to start the draft really set the tone.

Here’s how I grade their individual picks.

Draft Class & Specific Grades:

1.5 – Arvell Reese, EDGE/LB, Ohio State: A

1.10 (via CIN) – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami – A

2.37 – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee – A

3.74 – Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame – B+

6.186 – Bobby Jamison-Travis, DT, Auburn – C

6.192 – J.C. Davis, G, Illinois – C

6.193 – Jack Kelly, LB, BYU – B+


Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade: B

The Eagles cooked early with two strong offensive picks, but I feel they lost momentum later and failed to bring home the value other division rivals did.

Here’s how I grade their individual picks.

Draft Class & Specific Grades:

1.20 (via DAL) – Makai Lemon, WR, USC – A-

2.54 – Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt – B+

3.68 – Markell Bell, OT, Miami – C-

5.178 – Cole Payton, QB, NDSU – B

6.207 – Micah Morris, G, Georgia – C+

7.244 – Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech – C+

7.251 – Uar Bernard, DL, IPP Program – B=

7.252 – Keyshawn James, EDGE, New Mexico – C


Washington Commanders Draft Grade: B-

The Commanders snagged Sonny Styles to start this draft, which was an impressive and needed start with their defense struggling mightily in 2025, but the rest of the class was not that impressive, and failed to really fill some important holes.

Here’s how I grade their individual picks.

Draft Class & Specific Grades:

1.7 – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State – A+

3.71 – Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson – B-

5.147 – Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee – B-

6.187 – Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State – B

6.209 – Matt Gublin, C, Michigan State – C-

7.223 – Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers – D

Was this helpful?

Mark Heaney is an NFL scout and sports journalist who has covered college football and the NFL since 2018. He has professionally evaluated over 1,000 NFL Draft prospects. At InsideTheStar.com, Mark has published 319 articles on ITS reaching over 1.1 million readers. His work has also appeared on FanSided, Whole Nine Sports, and Downtown Sports Network. Mark studied at UNC Charlotte and served as a media intern for the Charlotte 49ers football program.

2 Comments

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Loading comments…