2024 NFL Season: Ranking Every NFC East Roster

Thanks to some offseason upgrades, the Eagles should once again contend for a Super Bowl. But how does their whole division stack up?

DeVonta Smith celebrates with A.J. Brown in the end zone. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

For the past few seasons, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles have gone back and forth as the top team in the NFC East. They will likely battle for the division title again, but the two teams had different approaches this offseason. 

The Eagles were busy in free agency and received rave reviews for their 2024 draft class. As for the Cowboys, they had a quiet free agency and played it safe in the draft, but their strong crop of star players should help them keep pace with the Eagles. 

The two NFC East powerhouses might need to make room for the rising Washington Commanders, who made many notable moves during their first offseason with new decision-makers in place. 

The New York Giants will need a bounce-back season from Daniel Jones to emerge as a sleeper in the division. But the team gave Jones plenty of help, including the first-round selection of receiver Malik Nabers. 

Here’s how we view the rosters in the NFC East with free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror. 

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles’ end-of-season collapse was largely because of their poor defense. That issue might have been fixed with veteran newcomers and a strong draft class that features defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Perhaps that will be enough for quarterback Jalen Hurts & Co. to finish what they started as the 2022 NFC champions.

Hurts will again have the best receiving tandem in the NFC East with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as the best tight end in Dallas Goedert. This group of skill players got stronger with the free-agent addition of running back Saquon Barkley. But the team took a risk given all the mileage and injuries Barkley accumulated during his six seasons with the Giants. It’s also making gambles with Cam Jurgens replacing Jason Kelce as the starting center and Tyler Steen taking over as the starting right guard. Overall, the Eagles’ offensive line should be fine with Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata during their first season without Kelce.  

The defense said goodbye to Haason Reddick and signed Bryce Huff to form a strong pass-rushing rotation with Josh Sweat and 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith. This will be a pivotal season for interior defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, after the retirement of Fletcher Cox. The defensive line might need to produce a dominant season to support a suspect group of linebackers. Perhaps Devin White will reignite his career in Philly after a few down seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Youth was a problem for a secondary that got old quickly last season. Mitchell should be an immediate starter next to Darius Slay, which would allow DeJean to play slot cornerback and safety as a do-it-all defensive back for coordinator Vic Fangio. With the upgrades in the offseason, the Eagles should again contend for a Super Bowl this season. 

2. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys had a quiet offseason, but they still have one of the best rosters in the NFL, with a core group of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. But the team lost plenty of depth in free agency and will need a handful of rookies to become immediate contributors.

Prescott, who might be entering a make-or-break season in Dallas, will once again have a strong offensive line, despite the departure of Tyron Smith. The line shouldn’t miss a beat if rookie first-round pick Tyler Guyton quickly finds his footing as the starting left tackle. With the selection of Guyton, the Cowboys can now leave Tyler Smith at left guard, with right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Terence Steele patrolling the other side. But the Cowboys will need rookie third-round pick Cooper Beebe or second-year player Brock Hoffman to step up at center. The trio of Lamb, wide receiver Brandin Cooks and tight end Jake Ferguson gives Prescott a strong group of pass catchers. But they lack depth and have uncertainty at the No. 3 wideout position. As for a bigger concern, the Cowboys are banking on Ezekiel Elliott to turn back the clock as the top option in the backfield. 

The Cowboys lost depth on the defensive front, but still have plenty of talent with edge rushers Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Sam Williams. The team planned for the future with the second-round selection of edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland. DeMarvion Overshown, last year’s third-round pick, and rookie Marist Liufau might be asked to play many snaps next to veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks. The secondary, on the other hand, doesn’t lack experience and could be the best in the division with DaRon Bland and Diggs at cornerback. The Cowboys could have an adjustment period with many new faces in starting roles, but their core group should keep them near the top of the NFC East standings.  

3. Washington Commanders

The Commanders’ 2024 transaction log reads longer than a CVS receipt, with several additions on both sides of the ball. Bad teams often get in trouble by splurging in the offseason just for the sake of filling various roster needs. But new GM Adam Peters made several savvy moves that not only helped new coach Dan Quinn for this season but also maintained the team’s cap space flexibility for next offseason.  

All eyes will be on the play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 pick and Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU. The Commanders’ offseason moves on the offensive line should help Daniels quickly find his footing in the NFL. They added center Tyler Biadasz and guard Nick Allegretti, and drafted offensive tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round. But Washington might be asking a lot of Coleman to immediately start at left tackle. Daniels has a promising group of skill players around him, led by wideout Terry McLaurin. The rookie signal-caller should also benefit from the signing of versatile running back Austin Ekeler. 

After fielding the worst group of pass rushers in the division toward the end 2023, the Commanders signed edge rushers Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell to fill the voids left by Chase Young and Montez Sweat, the two standouts who were traded in October to begin Washington’s rebuild. Armstrong often flashed in his limited work with the Cowboys. He’ll now be a full-time starter to possibly form a strong defensive line with tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. But the front took a hit with rookie defensive tackle Johnny Newton’s foot injury. 

The linebackers could be better, even with the arrivals of veterans Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. But the secondary might be a problem with many inexperienced players expected to start. They’ll need a strong second season from 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. In all, the Commanders could be a playoff contender in ‘24 after only winning four games last season. 

4. New York Giants

The Giants should be better offensively, with the moves they made in the offseason to surround Jones. But there are too many unknowns on the offensive line, at the skill positions and, obviously, with the play of Jones himself. There’s no uncertainty, however, with the arrival of proven edge rusher Brian Burns, who’ll help form a dominant defensive front with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. 

For the Giants to bounce back from their dismal 2023 season, they’re going to need the offensive line to quickly get on the same page with newcomer veteran guards Jon Runyan Jr. and Aaron Stinnie. New York will also need right tackle Evan Neal to finally step up and help stud left tackle Andrew Thomas, who’s coming off an injury-riddled season. But for the offense to truly take off it’s going to need a dominant rookie season from Nabers, who might be Jones’s best wideout since entering the league in 2019. It’s now or never for Jones, with a promising offensive line and dangerous downfield weapon.  

Regardless of how the offense performs, the Giants should be competitive because of the depth and talent on the defensive front. Outside of the ferocious trio on the defensive line, the Giants have a sideline-to-sideline playmaker in Bobby Okereke, who had 149 total tackles during his first season in New York. As for the secondary, there’s plenty of inexperience with second-year cornerback Deonte Banks, and rookie defensive backs Andru Phillips and Tyler Nubin. With many unknowns, it’s tough seeing the Giants challenging for the NFC East crown, but there’s plenty to like with the arrival of Nabers and Burns.