Preseason All-NFC East Offense: Which Commanders Made The Team?
We're a few weeks removed from the 2022 NFL Draft where every team made an attempt to better their squads.
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The NFC East is no exception, and competition for the division crown is expected to be fierce. Can the Cowboys repeat as champs? Will the improved Commanders roster push them closer? Can the Giants' new leadership team be the difference? Will the Eagles' offseason additions be enough?
We're too far away from the start of the season to start predicting a champion, but what we can do is offer the best from each position group within the division with the preseason All-NFC East team. We'll start with the offense today.
Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
This is a no-brainer and it's not even close, although Commanders fans may argue that point. While he still struggles to enter elite quarterback status in the NFL, Prescott continues to perform at a high level year after year despite constant criticism from some fans and media members.
Last season saw Prescott lead the Cowboys to an 11-5 record in his 16 starts while throwing for 4,449 yards with a 68.8 completion percentage on their way to an NFC East division crown. He added 37 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions.
But his playoff failures will continue to be one of his most significant drawbacks until Dallas can engineer a deep playoff run.
Running Back: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Elliott gets the nod here but only barely over Washington's Antonio Gibson. Elliott averaged 4.2 yards per carry last season to Gibson's 4.0, totaling 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns. But watch out, Commanders fans, Gibson is due for a breakout season and could easily be the best running back in the East by the end of the season.
Wide Receiver: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders, CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys, and A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Lamb leads the way here and is also the youngest of the three, but McLaurin might be the most talented. Brown is still developing but is clearly on the rise. Both McLaurin and Brown have suffered from sub-par quarterbacks throwing them the ball throughout their young careers, while the Prescott-to-Lamb connection gets Cowboys fans excited about the future.
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Tight End: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
This was close too, as Goedert edges out the Cowboys' Dalton Schultz. Goedert caught 56 passes for 830 yards for an average of 14.6 yards per catch. Schultz's stats were very close as he caught almost 20 more passes but averaged about four yards less per catch. Goedert scored four touchdowns to Schultz's eight.
Center: Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
Kelce continues to be an example of durability and consistency, as after his 11th season in the league, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and earned First-Team All-Pro Honors.
Offensive Tackle: Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
I'm sorry, Cowboys fans, I cannot, with a clear conscience, include Tyron Smith as much as I'd like to. He just hasn't been reliable and durable enough the past two seasons. Johnson had a bounce-back year in 2021 and looks to be returning to his Pro Bowl form from 2018 and 2019. After just two seasons in the league, Mailata looks well on his way to becoming one of the more dominant tackles in the NFL.
Offensive Guard: Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys, Andrew Norwell, Washington Commanders
Martin on this list should surprise no one, as he'll soon be headed not just to the Cowboys' Ring of Honor, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame too. Cowboys fans hope that comes later instead of sooner. Norwell is new to the Commanders and has large cleats to fill after being signed in free agency to replace Brandon Scherff, who replaced Norwell in Jacksonville. But Norwell appears up to the task as one of the more reliable and consistent guards in the NFL.
The NFC East has been somewhat of a laughing stock the past couple of seasons, but with the talent level within the division, there's no reason that should continue.
