As the years pass, many more players are entering the NFL as pure athletes capable of playing multiple positions.
One of these positions is defensive end.
The defensive end position has evolved.
Players were once regarded as either run stoppers or pass rushers, but never both.
Gone are the traditional monikers, and the defensive end position is now just being called “EDGE”.
EDGE players can do it all, and the NFC East has it’s fair share of these freaks of nature.
My NFC East position rankings series continues today as I analyze the EDGE position for each team.
My previous article was the first position ranking analysis for the defensive side of the ball as we examined the interior defensive line.
Analysis will be done in team alphabetical order with rankings revealed at the end of the article.
Dallas Cowboys
Projected starters: Demarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong
Key contributor(s): Micah Parsons, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler Jr.
Demarcus Lawrence
Demarcus “Tank” Lawrence is the longest tenured player on the defense.
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Tank’s presence is always felt, even if it doesn’t stuff the stat sheet.
He is the Cowboys best EDGE run defender, and even has flexibility to bump down inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.
Lawrence earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time since 2018, and looks to hit double digit sacks for the first time since that same season.
Dorance Armstrong
Dorance Armstrong is another late round player who has earned a second contract with the Cowboys.
Armstrong is coming off of career highs in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (10), and QB hits (16) in 2022.
He looks to build on that in his sixth season as a pro.
Micah Parsons
Despite not being listed as a starter at EDGE on the depth chart, Micah Parsons gets his own subheading.
Parsons is a perfect example of the new EDGE position that is sweeping the NFL.
He is a chess piece that Dan Quinn uses all over the field, putting him in favorable situations.
In two seasons, Micah has racked up 26.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, and 56 QB hits on his way to two All-Pro selections.
The sky is the limit for Parsons, and we might see him hit outer space in 2023.
Sam Williams/Dante Fowler Jr.
Sam Williams enters his second season out of Ole Miss with big expectations from the Cowboys’ coaching staff.
He showed flashes last season, but was inconsistent with his play, and had trouble with penalties.
If he can clean that up this offseason, Williams can push Armstrong for the starting job.
Dante Fowler Jr. is a veteran “Dan Quinn guy” who is most valuable to Dallas on passing downs.
He racked up 6.0 sacks and two forced fumbles last season for the Cowboys in limited opportunities.
If nothing else, he is a good locker room presence for the younger guys.
New York Giants
Projected starters: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari
Key contributor(s): Oshane Ximines
Kayvon Thibodeaux
The New York Giants went into the 2022 NFL Draft with two picks in the top seven.
They used the fifth pick in the draft to select Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux was expected to be drafted in the top three, so the Giants were ecstatic with his short fall to them.
The rookie appeared in only 14 games after suffering a knee injury in the preseason, but managed 4.0 sacks on the year.
The Giants expect a big leap from year one to year two.
Azeez Ojulari
Azeez Ojulari is entering his third season hoping to get over the injury bug that limited him to just seven games in 2022.
Despite only playing in seven games, Ojulari showed what he is capable of in limited action by accumulating 5.5 sacks.
Quarterbacks might be in for a long day if the pair of Ojulari and Thibodeaux can stay healthy.
Oshane Ximines
The Giants play a 3-4 defensive scheme. This means their EDGE players are technically stand up outside linebackers.
This poses somewhat of a problem for the Giants.
The only other player who fits the size and speed parameters on their current roster behind their top two is Oshane Ximines.
Ximines is a four year veteran who has 6.5 total sacks in his career. 4.5 of those came in his rookie season.
The Giants could definitely add a couple of more capable bodies to their EDGE room.
Philadelphia Eagles
Projected starters: Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat
Key contributor(s): Haason Redick, Derek Barnett, Nolan Smith
Brandon Graham
Much like his counterpart Tank Lawrence in Dallas, Brandon Graham is the most seasoned veteran on his defense.
He is also a true defensive end who gets dirty in the run game, and has the flexibility to bounce inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.
Graham is entering the twilight years of his career, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him play.
Although he was considering retirement recently, he accumulated a career high 11.5 sacks in 2022.
The leader of the Eagles defense is looking for at least one more championship before hanging up his cleats.
Josh Sweat
Opposite of Graham, Josh Sweat rushes the passer from the quarterback’s blind side.
Sweat also hit a career high of 11.0 sacks in 2022, a year in which the Eagles led the entire NFL in sacks.
After four years of relative mediocrity, Sweat broke out of his shell in 2021, earning Pro Bowl honors along the way.
The highlight of his 2022 season was intercepting a Dak Prescott pass and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown.
The Eagles hope for more plays like that in the coming season
Haason Redick
The Eagles and Cowboys have so many similarities on their defenses.
Another is the comparison of Micah Parsons to Haason Redick.
They are both listed as linebackers on the depth chart, but primarily line up as pass rushers.
They both can be moved around the formation like chess pieces.
The only difference is Micah Parsons is far better at it. Take that, Eagles fans.
Redick is coming off of a career year of 16.0 sacks and five forced fumbles, with no signs of slowing down.
Derek Barnett/Nolan Smith
Derek Barnett basically has not played meaningful football since the 2021 season.
Twelve snaps into a 2022 Week 1 victory over the Lions, Barnett tore his ACL and was lost for the remainder of the year.
The Eagles hope he can return back to form for 2023.
Nolan Smith is next in a long line of recent players drafted by the Eagles to wear a Georgia Bulldog uniform in college.
The Eagles drafted him with the expectations to translate his playmaking ability from college to the NFL.
Washington Commanders
Projected starters: Chase Young, Montez Sweat
Key contributor(s): Efe Obada
Chase Young
Drafted 2nd overall out of Ohio State University, Chase Young has massively underachieved expectations.
After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, Young has only played in 11 games over the next two seasons.
There were even talks of the Commanders trying to trade him away this offseason, but no deals came to fruition.
If Young doesn’t step up his game, he could be in another uniform in 2024.
Montez Sweat
Another first round pick at defensive end for the Commanders, Montez Sweat has been solid, yet unspectacular.
One could say he has underachieved based on where he was drafted.
After 8.0 sacks in 2022, the Commanders and their new ownership would love to see a bigger leap from Sweat this upcoming season.
Efe Obada
Much like the Giants, the Commanders lack notable names in the defensive end room.
Efe Obada is the only other EDGE player on the roster with more than a year of NFL experience.
Should Young injure himself again, Obada will be thrust into a starting role in his second season with the franchise.
Final Rankings
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Washington Commanders