NFC East 2023 NFL Draft recap
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Jartavius 'Quan' Martin was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
NFC East football has returned to the days of the 1980s as each team continues to up the ante in its quest to take home the division.
In New York, they added much needed speed on the outside lanes with the selection of Jalin Hyatt and took one of the draft’s fastest cornerbacks in Maryland’s Deonte Banks. They may have added a sleeper at the position in Old Dominion’s Tre Hawkins.
Philadelphia went all-in on Georgia’s defense, taking both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in Round 1. A draft weekend trade with the Detroit Lions brought in DeAndre Swift, another former Bulldog.
Washington took Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes with the 16th overall pick and then picked up a versatile cover guy in Illinois’ Jartavius ‘Quan’ Martin.
Dallas’ draft including a big man with a number of physical traits in Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The Cowboys went one step further in Ann Arbor with the selection of Luke Schoonmaker, a tight end with major upside.
| 2023 NFL Draft Recap, NFC East | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | ||||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (26) | Mazi Smith 6’3 323 | DT/Michigan | 78/2nd Round | Smith is an athletic lineman who will get an opportunity to learn from veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins in Dallas. | 4 | |
| 2 (58) | Luke Schoonmaker 6’5 251 | TE-Michigan | 91/3rd Round | Schoonmaker built on the glimpses of stardom he flashed over a two-year period. What he proved in 2022 was that he could finish catches in traffic and get open outside the context of the play. | 4 | |
| 3 (90) | DeMarvion Overshown 6’2 229 | LB-Texas | 216/4th Round | Overshown has the tools to cover kickoffs, rush the passer and finish on the ball in coverage. He may challenge for a nickel linebacker spot in Year 1, but has the tools to start in due time. | 4 | |
| 4 (129) | Viliami ‘Junior’ Fehoko 6’4 282 | DE/DT-San Jose State | 243/4th Round | His activity and strength helped the MWC Defensive Player of the Year tally 47 tackles for losses in his career. Fehoko is heavy-handed on the edge with solid quickness. | 4 | |
| 5 (169) | Asim Richards 6’4 309 | OT-OG-North Carolina | 364/4th Round | Richards rebounded from a subpar junior campaign to have his best outing in 2022 as the blindside protector for the nation's 19th-ranked offense. | 4 | |
| 6 (178) | Eric Scott, Jr. 6’0 201 | CB-Southern Miss | 274/4th Round | His instincts and anticipation in zone coverage when it comes to disguise have improved by leaps and bounds. He took both of his interceptions back for touchdowns in zone coverage disguising in the pre-snap. | 4.5 | |
| 6 (212) | Deuce Vaughn 5’5 179 | All-purpose-RB-Kansas State | 77/2nd Round | At just 5-foot-5, Vaughn’s electricity working in-and-out of traffic resulted in over 3,600 yards rushing in school (34 TDs). He also found time to catch 116 passes (11 YPR) with nine more TDs. Could he overcome the size deficiencies to become a matchup problem for opposing teams? | 5 | |
| 7 (244) | Jalen Brooks 6’2 205 | WR-South Carolina, Wingate, Tarleton State | 405/5th Round | Brooks flashed length, strength and run after the catch strength while at Wingate. He was spectacular there and flashed some spectacular grabs at South Carolina, including a one-hand snatch against Georgia that was eye-opening. At 6-foot-2, the former Gamecock contributed on the punt return unit and as a kick coverage standout. | 4.5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Isaiah Land 6’2 236 | OLB-Florida A&M | 257/4th Round | The 2021 Buck Buchanan Award winner flashed some potential as an exchange linebacker in the postseason, but his pass rush acumen (29 QB sacks, 42.5 TFLs) is the No. 1 quality he brings to the table. He has enough speed to earn a role covering kicks. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.25 | |||||
| Philadelphia Eagles | ||||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (9) | Jalen Carter 6’3 314 | DT-Georgia | 7/1st Round | One of the most underrated parts of the former Georgia star is his propensity to affect the game from a special teams perspective. Carter blocked three kicks In his career. | 5 | Traded a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Chicago Bears and move up to the ninth overall pick from the 10th overall pick. |
| 1 (30) | Nolan Smith 6’2 238 | DE-OLB/Georgia | 41/2nd Round | Smith has nearly an identical physical profile to current pass rusher Haason Reddick coming out of Temple. | 4.8 | |
| 3 (65) | Tyler Steen 6’6 321 | OT-Alabama, Vanderbilt | 61/2nd Round | Steen is a former defensive lineman capable of handling inside movement at the tackle spot and can anchor if challenged down the middle of his frame. His mobility and overall strength rank as positives. | 5 | |
| 3 (66) | Sydney Brown 5’10 214 | S-Illinois | 69/2nd Round | The leader of the nation's third-ranked defense in 2022, Brown, a first-team All-Big Ten safety, carries value as a Brandon Jones-type (Dolphins) in the NFL. | 5 | |
| 4 (105) | Kelee Ringo 6’2 210 | CB-Georgia | 93/3rd Round | Ringo has all of the tools to develop into a James Hasty-type (Chiefs-1990s) at the next level. | 5 | |
| 6 (188) | Tanner McKee 6’6 228 | QB-Stanford | 211/4th Round | McKee displays rare arm strength at times and made a number of tight window throws in the Red Zone. The team's sack totals represent a tendency to get locked in on his intentions and hold the ball too long. | 5 | |
| 7 (249) | Moro Ojomo 6’2 1/2” 292 | DT-Texas | 267/4th Round | This is a player with the physical tools to develop behind defensive tackle Fletcher Cox as a potential clone. Quick-sets have given him issues at the three-technique defensive tackle spot, but his quickness shines on line games or stunts. | 5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Eli Ricks 6’2 188 | CB-Alabama, LSU | 186/3rd Round | Ricks receives an opportunity to learn behind veteran cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Growth could occur if he can lock down a special teams role in training camp. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.97 | |||||
| New York Giants | ||||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (24) | Deonte Banks 6’2 205 | CB/Maryland | 33/2nd Round | Banks excels in man-to-man coverage and should get his chance to show it off in Wink Martindale’s aggressive schemes. | 4.7 | |
| 3 (73) | Jalin Hyatt 6’0 176 | WR-Tennessee | 45/2nd Round | The 10.46 100-meter sprinter has a unique capability of running into his patterns at full speed. Despite having a measure of lower body rigidity, the Biletnikoff Award winner runs through the reception point. | 5 | |
| 5 (172) | Eric Gray 5’9 1/2” 207 | RB-Oklahoma, Tennessee | 110/3rd Round | For two seasons at Tennessee, he caught attention with his versatility, shifty profile and low center of gravity. Those have remained in tow, but there are questions as to whether he still maintains the previous gear when attempting to turn the corner on defenses. His finished with over 1,300 yards rushing (1,366) in 2022. | 5 | |
| 6 (209) | Tre Hawkins III 6’1 190 | CB-Old Dominion | 238/4th Round | Hawkins is a tall, slender corner with positive footwork in his backpedal. An aggressive tackler, he triggered in that phase of his game and played well in the postseason as the best corner at the 2023 Hula Bowl. | 5 | |
| 7 (243) | Jordon Riley 6’5 338 | DT/NG-Oregon, UNC | 582/6th Round | The Riverside High School (N.C.) product is a two-down prospect who contains a high play demeanor but two-gaps effectively at the one-technique or zero-technique NG positions. He can be a rotational fit in Wink Martindale’s schemes. | 4.5 | |
| 7 (254) | Gervarrius Owens 6’0 1/2” 198 | S-Houston | 219/4th Round | The former cornerback moved to safety and his comfort at that position brought out signs of former Arkansas corner-turned-safety Kamren Curl. He should fit well into the Giants special teams projections and compete for a backup safety spot. | 5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Bryce Ford-Wheaton 6’4 221 | WR-West Virginia | 187/3rd Round | Ford-Wheaton experienced some concentration lapses in school and wasn’t able to sustain a hot beginning to the 2022 campaign. His potential in punt or kickoff coverage shined at times in his career. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.87 | |||||
| Washington Commanders | ||||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (16) | Emmanuel Forbes 6’1 170 | CB/Mississippi State | 9/1st Round | All the talk heading into the draft was about Forbes’ 170-pound frame, but the Commanders bet on the NCAA’s all-time record holder with six interception return touchdowns. | 5 | |
| 2 (47) | Jartavius ‘Quan’ Martin 5’11 194 | CB-Nickel-Illinois | 71/2nd Round | A serviceable starter at corner, his bail and press-man techniques at that position could create a move back to the spot. Moving to the star position (bybrid nickel/safety) gave him an opportunity to cover the slot wide receiver, play off the hash marks and get involved as a tackler in the box. | 4.75 | |
| 3 (97) | Ricky Stromberg 6’3 306 | OC-Arkansas | 135/3rd Round | Stromberg’s hand placement was uneven at times, but he is a down-to-down presence battling inside at either the guard or center spot. Earlier in his career, he was a productive guard. | 4.75 | |
| 4 (118) | Braeden Daniels 6’4 294 | OG-OT-Utah | 137/3rd Round | An academic standout, Daniels moved around positions effortlessly and impressed on his combination blocks and footwork reaching defenders. His was patient in pass protection at the tackle spot. | 4.75 | |
| 5 (137) | KJ Henry 6’4 251 | DE-Clemson | 301/4th Round | Henry’s rush capability was one thing, but his 11 pass breakups in school could rival some of the defensive back totals in this year’s draft. | 4 | |
| 6 (193) | Chris Rodriguez 6’1 217 | RB-Kentucky | 179/3rd Round | Rodriguez got off to a slow start in 2022 but came back around to nearly put up 1,000 yards rushing of the second consecutive season. The two-time team captain runs with a shoulder-width base and even operated as a Wildcat QB (literally) on occasion while at Kentucky. An angry runner, he finished his career with 32 rushing TDs and a healthy 6.2 yards per carry average. | 5 | |
| 7 (233) | Andre Jones, Jr. 6’4 250 | DE-OLB-Louisiana-Lafayette | 277/4th Round | His age (24) may have backed off some suitors, but he is nimble and long enough to set the edge effectively. He has a long-arm snatch-and-pull that impresses as a change-up, but he relies on speed-to-power bull rushes. | 4.75 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Tim DeMorat 6’3 221 | QB-Fordham | 282/4th Round | The two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year does not have a bazooka for an arm, but he worked in an offense that valued timing and rhythm in a fast-paced attack. His anticipation as a thrower stands out. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.71 |
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