This week we are going to be taking a look at which positions each team should be looking out for in the upcoming draft. Today we will give you the team needs in, what is one of the most wide open divisions this season in the NFL, the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys

Offensive Guard:

The Cowboys offensive line has not played bad this season but they only have two offensive guards on the active roster, MacKenzy Bernadeau and Ronald Leary. Both Ryan Cook and Brian Waters are on Injured Reserve so they are eligible to be back with the team next season. The only problem there is that both players are over 30 years old, so it’s no guarantee that either player is even still playing football next year.  The Cowboys should add depth here and fast. The only first-round selection to watch for in the draft would be Cyril Richardson out of Baylor. Outside of him the Cowboys would be better off waiting for the later rounds just to add the depth. Guys like Chris Burnette out of Georgia and Ryan Groy out of Wisconsin would be solid additions for the team.

Defensive Back:

I know that defensive back is not a specific position, but the Cowboys could use help at both levels, cornerback and safety. The Dallas defense needs a lot of help outside of the linebacker position and, in a league ran by quarterbacks, it is important to be able to stop the pass.

Dallas has let up an average of over 300 yards per game. The Cowboys are on the verge of being a great NFL team due to their explosiveness, but it becomes counterproductive when you allow every opponent to be explosive right back. There has only been one team to let up more yards than the Cowboys in the air.

With the position the Cowboys are in I could see them using their first round pick on a defensive back this year. One player in particular that I could see fit is Alabama free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who is the best defensive back in the country.

If he is off the board when the Cowboys pick they should switch gears and go cornerback, Loucheiz Purifoy from Florida should be the top target on there.

Defensive Tackle:

Defending the pass is the biggest problem, but the Cowboys have been far from a great run defense as well. They let up over 100 yards per game in that field as well and I think it is because of their weakness in the trenches. Not only is this to stop the run but having a good interior on you defensive line is key to causing disruption in the pocket. If they can find a player like Timmy Jernigan available in the second round they should jump at him. If not, the team could still find good value in this class and steal a player like DaQuan Jones out of Penn State in the middle rounds.

Philadelphia Eagles

Defensive End:

You remember when I said the Cowboys let up more passing yards per game than everyone except for one team? Well, The Philadelphia Eagles are that one team. They let up 307 passing yards per game and this needs to stop. Here is the formula Philly…. Draft a defensive end = Rush quarterback = disrupt pass = either a. play disruption or b. turnovers = don’t let up 17 first downs per game (yes they are doing that) = win games. See how that works? Targets in the draft will be players such as Vic Beasley from Clemson, South Florida’s Aaron Lynch, or Jackson Jeffcoat out of Texas.

Quarterback:

“But Nick Foles threw for seven touchdowns in one game”. True, so did Y.A. Tittle, Joe Kapp, Sid Luckman, Adrian Burk, and George Blanda.

Let me guess your next question, “Who are they?” Don’t be obsessed with single-game performances, until I see Foles perform on a consistent basis I will say they need a quarterback.

I would say Tahj Boyd and Johnny Manziel are the top candidates for the position.

Chip Kelly has an opportunity to make a big impact on the NFL, but he needs to do it with a WINNING quarterback, not a fun one; Manziel and Boyd are winners.

Cornerback:

How else can you stop the pass? Stop the receiver. How do you stop the receiver? Draft a cornerback. The Eagles could use a few new corners and I don’t expect the daft to be the only way that address this issue, but it sure is a good start. One cornerback who I think could be a third round steal and fit right into the Eagles system is Darqueze Dennard out of Michigan State.

Washington Redskins

Offensive Tackle:

This season has been a big disappointment for the Washington Redskins and it does not seem to be heading into any positive directions. A big part of this has to do with the pressure that Robert Griffin III has been facing. His offensive line just cannot protect him and that needs to change. At first glance you would think it is not too bad, he is one of the least sacked quarterback in the NFL. Let’s not look at the 18 sacks let up from the Redskins, let’s look at the 54 QB hits. Even when Griffin has gotten his passes off, he is still being pummeled to the ground often. This is detrimental to an offense when your quarterback is also coming off of major knee surgery. Targets to look at to help protect RGIII are Seantrel Henderson or North Carolina’s James Hurst.

Inside Linebacker:

It’s been a tough go for the Washington Redskins defensively this season. They have let up the most points in the NFL. They are in the bottom 10 in the league in both pass defense and run defense. Since the problems are everywhere, the best place to first fix is the middle. The leader of the defense, inside linebacker London Fletcher, is going to retire soon and they need to add depth at that position if they expect to become a relevant team in the NFL once again. Unfortunately without a first round pick, and not much depth at middle linebacker in this year’s draft it will be slim pickings for the struggling Redskins. Too come away from this draft with a player like Shane Skov out of Stanford would be a big win for the Redskins.

Wide Receiver:

Pierre Garcon is good but outside of that the team does not have much reliability at receiver. Santana Moss is on his way out and they will need to plug someone in. They will not have as much trouble finding help for RGIII in the draft as they will finding a linebacker. I could see the team coming away from this draft with multiple receivers. A few to watch out for are Brandin Cooks, Jared Abbrederis, and DeVante Parker.

New York Giants

Running Back:

It’s safe to say the New York Giants need a running back, it is clear because they do not even know who their starting running back is at this point. David Wilson was a disappointment, then it is Andre Brown, Michael Cox, Peyton Hillis, and Brandon Jacobs. I expect two or three of those names to be off the roster next season and a new fresh face to take over. Options for them will be Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk, Oregon’s De'Anthony Thomas, or Washington’s Bishop Sankey.

Offensive Tackle:

The offense needs to be better. There is no other way to put that. In order for the Giants to be taken serious again they need to put more points on the board.

New York has scored the third least points in the NFL, and star quarterback Eli Manning is throwing nearly twice as many interceptions as he is touchdowns.

This problem begins with the blocking so hopefully we will see change soon. The Giants may finish this year with a top-five pick in the draft. If that is the Case, Jake Matthews, welcome to your new home in New York.

Tight End:

Again, this offseason needs to be focused on the offense. The defense could use some depth, but they have not been the problem. Brandon Myers is not the tight end the Giants thought they were getting when he came over from Oakland so they should look for one in this year’s draft. Austin Seferian-Jenkins out of Washington has had his draft stock drop just a bit this season and could be a huge pick for the Giants in the second round.  Xavier Grimble and Marcel Jensen are a couple of other names to watch at the tight end position.