Day 1 Draft Review: Did NFC East Close Gap on Cowboys?
Will the Dallas Cowboys repeat as NFC champions in 2022? There are several factors working against them, including their divisional foes' daring and deft in Thursday's Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
Repeating as NFC East champs is always dicey, evidenced by the division producing 17 consecutive different winners. Dallas' first-place schedule – which includes Tom Brady’s Buccaneers, Joe Burrow’s Bengals and a visit to Aaron Rodgers’ Packers at Lambeau – could be torturous. And in their last four seasons following a division title the Cowboys have fallen flat, going 6-10, 4-12, 9-7 and 8-8.
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Which brings us to the draft, where the news doesn't get much more encouraging. The Cowboys watched NFC East teams made four picks and three trades before they were on the clock at No. 24.
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired another target for quarterback Jalen Hurts, trading for Titans receiver A.J. Brown to pair him with DeVonta Smith. They then traded up to get monster Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis with the 13th pick.
The New York Giants, who are declining to exercise the fifth-year contract option for quarterback Daniel Jones, got immense and immediate help along both lines with Oregon pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (5th) and behemoth Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal (7th).
The Washington Commanders traded down and passed on several primo receiving projects, but still picked up a weapon for new quarterback Carson Wentz in Penn State's Jahan Dotson.
The Cowboys bypassed a more ballyhooed prospect in Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson - who could have been seen as a Randy Gregory replacement - to instead draft, they claim, their No. 16-ranked player at No. 24 in Tyler Smith. The raw Tulsa tackle, who only recently turned 21, was flagged last year for 12 holding penalties, which was a flaw of departed starting guard Connor Williams.
Add it all up and did any of their foes pass the Cowboys?
"No," said ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson, "But they closed the gap."
Added NFL Live sidekick Marcus Spears, "Dallas is still the best in that division, but what Philly is doing trajectory-wise is getting better at a faster rate than the Cowboys."
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 25-6 in his career against the NFC East, and last year Dallas blew through the division 6-0 by a combined score of 240-107.
That chasm, however, may be closing.
