NFL insider ranks where NFC East quarterback play stacks up compared to rest of league
There probably are too many question marks with the Giants and Commanders for the NFC East to be known for its quarterbacks.
And if you want to get into the NFC East weeds, there also are concerns in regards to Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts coming off of 2023. It’s why one NFL analyst believes the group is only the fifth best amongst league divisions and No. 2 in the league.
Eric Edholm, an analyst for NFL.com, recently broke down the quarterback situation for the NFC East. He believes the NFC West — thank you resurgent Matthew Stafford and Geno Smith — as the best in the conference. And three AFC teams are ahead of the NFC East — AFC North, AFC West (Patrick Mahomes, of course) and AFC East. Edholm ranks the AFC North, which is home to Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson, as the best in the NFL.
So why does Edholm believe the NFC East is a benign fifth? After all, Prescott and Hurts are two of the best quarterbacks in the league, at least on paper.
“Whether you rate Hurts ahead of Prescott or vice versa, both are safely in the top dozen quarterbacks in the league,” Edholm wrote. “How strong this division is, quarterback-wise, could depend as much on how the other two teams fare at the position.
As for Hurts, Edholm writes about the Eagles quarterback:
“Hurts took a step back from his MVP runner-up season of 2022, throwing a career-high 15 interceptions and seeing his effectiveness wane significantly down the stretch. He should return to form this season with most of his offensive corps back, along with the addition of electric RB Saquon Barkley, but there is the matter of getting in sync with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.”
The Eagles appeared to be headed for the top seed in the NFC midway through last year. But they inexplicably nosedived in the latter half of the season. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost to the Bucs in the first round.
Prescott was enjoying a mostly terrific season in 2023. The Cowboys won the NFC East. And they were hosting the first round of the playoffs at home. Then they lost, badly, to the Packers. This may be Prescott’s final season with the Cowboys.
Will it be a good one for Prescott? Edholm says it’s too soon to tell. He wrote, “for Dallas this season, the problems lie with an O-line that has yet to be ironed out and a skill-position group that lacks firepower beyond CeeDee Lamb.”
The Commanders went all in on finding their all-star quarterback. Washington selected Heisman winner Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick of April’s draft. He should be the starter from the first week, but if he’s not, Marcus Mariota is the insurance policy.
“Assuming the No. 2 overall pick can stay healthy — and his lean frame gives me some pause — he might be one of the clear Offensive Rookie of the Year favorites,” Edholm wrote.
The Giants’ quarterback situation is a bit muddled. They’re going with Daniel Jones, who missed much of 2023 with neck and knee injuries. The Giants selected former LSU star receiver Malik Nabers, who caught all those passes thrown by Daniels, with the sixth pick of the draft. So Nabers’ play-making presence will help. But if Jones can’t go, the Giants signed Drew Lock from Seattle.
“I’m not counting out Lock,” Edholm wrote. “His career has been a bit wayward, but he had some moments last season in Seattle and appears to have some supporters within the new building. Either way, you could see Big Blue being in the QB business next offseason.”
So that’s your taste of the NFC East. Training camps start in a month. To check out more of the story on NFL.com, click it here. And you can check out all things NFL by clicking on On3.com coverage here.