Projecting NFC East starting rosters for 2022

Teams have been through the draft and the majority of free agency. So we should be able to see the fruits of their offseason labour.

There are still quality free agents available which will end up somewhere, and camp battles to be won. But in this article series, we will take an early look at what each team’s starting line-up should look like for the season. Are these teams any better? Let’s find out. 

In the second NFC instalment of this roster series, it’s time to look at one of the most unpredictable divisions in the NFL, the NFC East. With three different champions in as many years, any of the four teams have a claim to be the strongest heading into 2022.

The Eagles and Giants have made notable improvements this offseason, trying to catch the Cowboys at the top. And with the re-branded Washington Commanders entering their new era with a new quarterback, the NFC ‘Beast’ looks wide open.

Let’s take a look at their possible starting rosters:

Dallas Cowboys

Entering his seventh season in the NFL, Dak Prescott will certainly be looking for a positive year and will once again be the starting quarterback in Texas. And like any Dallas QB, there will huge expectations on his shoulders, particularly considering the Cowboys’ playoff exit against the 49ers last year.

It would be good to see Dak given the chance to use his legs a little more this year. His passing numbers are always impressive. But with Prescott having now fully recovered from his ankle injury, Mike McCarthy should take advantage of his dual threat ability in 2022.

Ezekiel Elliott may be the starter here at running back, but I expect he and Tony Pollard will continue to rotate reps going into the new season. Could we see two 1,000 rushers in Dallas this year? That’s highly unlikely, but not out of the question. And with constant trade talk, we don’t even know for sure if both will be on the roster come September.

Elsewhere, with Amari Cooper gone, CeeDee Lamb will be looking to back up an impressive 2021 with another breakout year. He’ll be the main target for Prescott going forward at wide receiver. It’s possible that Michael Gallup is unfit to start the 2022 season given his ongoing knee injury, so rookie Jalen Tolbert could be the receiver to watch in Dallas this year. He and new signing James Washington will be competing for WR3.

Up front, I’m slightly concerned about the Cowboys offensive line. Last year’s unit uncharacteristically struggled and Dallas will be hoping Tyron Smith and Zach Martin can stay healthy all year round. Outside of Smith and Martin, this is a very young O-Line core which needs to progress in 2022. Tyler Smith was a good selection in the draft at left guard and hopefully he can help plug the interior line issues.

The Cowboys defense was brilliant in 2021. But it’ll be difficult to match those performance levels this season. There haven’t been many changes, but this defense does look slightly weaker than it did a year ago.

Randy Gregory is a big loss on the edge, so a lot will be added to the workload of Micah Parsons. The 2021 first rounder was sensational as a rookie but will need to step up yet another level in year two.

It would be good to see Leighton Vander Esch make a big impact on this defense in 2022. After an explosive rookie year in 2018, Vander Esch has been a bit player in Dallas. He needs to find some form this year to ensure his long-term future remains with the Cowboys.

In the secondary, Dallas has done well to bring back all of their starters from last year. Yet despite Trevon Diggs’ leading the NFL in interceptions last season with eleven, Cowboys defensive backs ranked in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed per game. It’s time for the unit to repay the faith.

All-in-all, a slightly regressed Cowboys defense. But let’s see what happens this season. I’m sure Dan Quinn will get the most out of his players in 2022.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are building heavily around Hurts. And it’s great to see their commitment to the former Alabama quarterback.

The acquisition of A.J. Brown. will do wonders to this offense. Not just for Hurts but for other playmakers on the team. Devonta Smith will be hoping to back up a brilliant rookie season will a standout 2022 alongside Brown, while there is a lot Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor and new signing Zach Pascal.

At running back, Miles Sanders has a lot to prove in 2022. It’s been a fairly subdued start to his NFL career in Philly. And with Kenneth Gainwell performing well in his limited role as a rookie last year, this season could be make or break for Sanders.

Dallas Goedert remains at tight end, and there isn’t much change to the elite offensive line in Philadelphia this year. The combination of Mailata and Johnson is one of the best tackle partnership in the NFL, while Landon Dickerson looks a stud moving between guard and center.

Meanwhile, Jason Kelce is 34, but was an All-Pro once again in 2021. He may retire at the end of this season, but don’t expect much regression from the veteran.

Again, the jury is still out Hurts but every Eagles fan will be confident he can put any doubts to bed in 2022.

On defense, the Eagles look incredibly strong as usual, particularly on defensive line. Jordan Davis is such an exciting draft pick, but hard to nail his role as a rookie. He’ll be competing with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, two of the premier interior defensive linemen in the NFL, so it’ll be a tough challenge. But one we’re sure he’ll be up for.

Philadelphia could rotate the rookie as a high-impact reserve to begin his NFL career. Yet, I have a feeling the freakish athleticism that Davis possesses will help him to force his way into the starting team. Cox has regressed slightly over the past few years, so Davis could take his place.

Nakobe Dean, another defensive rookie out of Georgia, is harder to place. Dean played in the middle during college, although he’s under six-foot in height. And in the NFL, and you don’t see many middle linebackers at his size. He’s too good a player not to play and standout in 2022. But as a day one starter, we’ve gone T.J. Edwards.

In free agency, the signing of Haason Reddick will do wonders for their defense. The former Carolina Panther has clocked up 23.5 sacks over the past two seasons and will be sure to improve on his stats with the Eagles.

The secondary has also improved. Partnering Darius Slay with James Bradberry gives Philadelphia one of the more attractive cornerback pairings in the entire league. With the experienced Jaquiski Tartt and Anthony Harris at safety, this is certainly an attractive unit.

New York Giants

We have every faith that Brian Daboll will do wonders to this Giants team. And specifically, for Daniel Jones’ career.

A former #6 overall pick, Jones is certainly a talented player, no doubt about it. Let down mostly by a poor supporting cast and coaching team in New York, the opening three years of his NFL career has had ups and downs. 2022 is a make-or-break year, but we’re backing Jones to excel under his new boss.

Part of the Giants struggles in 2021 came from injuries, which led to games missed by the likes of Jones, Saquon Barkley and others. It’s also a big year for the future of Saquon, having endured a difficult couple of years on mainly on the side line. If he can put his woes to bed and the offensive line steps up as it is expected too, then Barkley is going to be difficult to stop in 2022.

Evan Neal will bring in much needed protection on the offensive line, while Andrew Thomas will be looking to build on a much-improved year in 2021.

Where the problems lie could possibly come from the interior. Rookie Joshua Ezeudu is fairly unknown, while Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano have never taken a snap for the Giants. All three are solid players, but there will be question marks on how they’ll look as a unit.

Nonetheless, with a below average strength of schedule this season, the Giants are well positioned to improve under this new regime.

This defensive front has a high-ceiling and Kayvon Thibodeaux is just what this team needs. He will silence the haters and break into a star in New York. His ability on the edge is something the Giants have lacked for a while. It may take him a little bit to settle, but the former Oregon player is too good an athlete not to breakout as a star. Partnering him on the edge, Azeez Ojulari will also want to breakout in 2022.

Elsewhere, Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence are a very solid partnership up front. But the Giants will be very reliant on Thibodeaux and Ojulari going forward.

On the other hand, the linebacker room is fairly underwhelming. Infact, PFF rank the Giants at 24 on their linebacker list, with Tae Crowder and Blake Martinez likely to start in formation in September.

After the departure of James Bradberry, the Giants look extremely thin in the secondary. Adoree’ Jackson is a good cornerback to have, but having chosen not to bring safeties Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan, New York is very short on defensive backs.

They’ll be counting on second-year players Aaron Robinson and Rodarius Williams, as well as Darnay Holmes and rookie third-rounder Cordale Flott, to shore up their corner group. We’ve gone for Robinson to partner Jackson this year.

Washington Commanders

Obviously the big addition is Carson Wentz. How will he get on in Washington? Only time will tell.

The newly named Commanders showed plenty of grit last season with backup Taylor Heinicke at the helm. There is certainly plenty of talent on this team, most notably at wide receiver.

After getting his $71 million, three-year deal to stay in Washington, the Commanders will be looking to Terry McLaurin to make the difference as their top-playmaker on offense. With slot talents Curtis Samuel and rookie Jahan Dotson alongside, Wentz has some good targets to aim at this year.

Antonio Gibson is a great talent, one of the best running backs in the league, while J.D. McKissic and Jaret Patterson make for an effective supporting cast to the rushing game in Washington.

On offensive line, there is incredibly good depth. All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff may have left, but with experienced veterans such as Schweitzer, Norwell and Leno, along with the talented youngster Sam Cosmi, the Commanders have a very solid O-Line.

Wentz is well primed with his supporting cast. We’re predicting big things in 2022.

Before the start of every season for the past few years, we’ve all talked about how good Washington’s defense looks on paper. Now, after a mediocre couple of years, it’s time for this outfit to perform.

Chase Young, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Montez. That’s four former first rounders all well under the age of 30 with plenty of talent to boot. It’s such an exciting defensive line with plenty of talent and the ability to be so dangerous. I’m hoping 2022 is the year it can really live up to expectations.

Cole Holcomb can become the real Commander in this side (pardon the pun). He was a key member of this defense last year, and will once again be vital in bringing some leadership to this side, as well as aiding the development of Jamin Davis.

The Commanders secondary was by no means a strength last year, but their players in the positions are fairly well respected. Down the stretch in 2021, William Jackson looked like player he once was for the Bengals, while Kendall Fuller improved after a slow start.

At safety, Kamren Curl is expected to take another big jump this season, while veteran Bobby McCain returns. They’ll all be looking to improve on ranking fourth-worst in passing yards and the most passing touchdowns conceded in 2021.

We’re really optimistic about the Commanders this season. But there are number of players who really need to step up in order to make that happen.