NFC East third round grade: A solid round for the division

After what could, at best and very charitably, be called a dismal second round overall, the NFC East rebounded nicely in the third round. The Eagles, which led the way in Thursday’s opening round, got the round started off on the right food.

The Giants took advantage of a potential Top 50 player falling to them with the 73^rd pick, giving Daniel Jones a nice target to throw to. The Cowboys clearly want Dan Quinn to never leave The Star, giving him another very nice shiny new toy to play with.

And the Commanders managed not to bungle their pick, a vast improvement over their second round effort. Overall, the division did well for itself. Well enough for an overall grade of A-. Now for the picks:

Eagles Trade Their Way To Prosperity

A team that makes the Super Bowl one year isn’t supposed to light up the very next draft. Seems like no one informed Philadelphia of this. The Eagles swung trades with Houston and Arizona and grabbed back-to-back players with the 65^th and 66^th picks.

They made them pay off too. Tyler Steen, an offensive tackle from Alabama, is going to have his hands full with opponents defensive tackles if the Eagles use him at guard, as seems to be the plan. He’ll see plenty of Mazi Smith for sure.

Philadelphia addressed its defensive backfield by selecting Sydney Brown from Illinois. Brown will likely play safety for Philadelphia. His draft stock rose with his performance at the recent Senior Bowl.

Eagles grade: A. Fortunately, barring any more trades, Philadelphia is done drafting until the sixth round. They have one pick there and three more in the seventh. So far, the Eagles are drafting very well.

First Round Talent Falls Into GiantS’ Lap

Jalin Hyatt, a wide receiver from Tennessee, had been talked about as a first-round target for the New York Giants. He was certainly a Top 50 player on many draft boards. Somehow, he managed to slip out of the first two rounds.

The Giants, sitting in the third round with the 73^rd overall pick, were more than happy to grab Hyatt. He has the speed and the skills to make Daniel Jones a very happy quarterback. But he also has the great potential to be a huge bust.

Still, the Giants needed a speed burner to stretch their opponents’ defenses and Hyatt can do just that. We’ll give this a B for now, with the potential to be a solid A and a draft steal.

Finding A Gem In Their Backyard

Speaking of steals, the Cowboys selection of DeMarvion Overshown with the 90^th overall pick might rate as a great heist. Overshown was held back by constant changes in coaches and schemes in Austin. He’ll find stability in Dallas.

Dan Quinn knows how to utilize players like Overshown. I suspect he’s going to be a Hurts-stopper for the Cowboys, along with any other run-happy passer the Cowboys play.

Solid B with the potential to move up to an A-, or even more. The Cowboys could have addressed another area of need, but a Micah Parsons clone is hard to pass up.

ReboundING From Bad Second Round

Washington didn’t have to do too much to have a better round than they did in the second round. With the 97^th overall pick, a compensatory pick at that, the Commanders shored up their offensive line.

Washington selected Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg. He can play center or guard and will help their line almost at the start. He does have his flaws, but at least they didn’t reach for this player.

Just for that reason alone, they get a B- with this pick. To be honest, it was a low bar for them to clear after their second round pick.