We are continuing the best and worst draft picks for every team. Today we are covering the NFC East.
Washington Redskins
Best Pick- Running Back Derrius Guice
Running back Derrius Guice was expected to be a 1st-round pick. Many people thought that the Redskins would take him 13th overall. The Redskins did draft him, but with the 59th pick. Guice falling out of the 1st-round was a surprise to many. There was a lot of speculation of why Guice fell. A big reason seemed to be that he claimed that he got asked inappropriate questions at the NFL combine. One of them, he claimed being asked about his sexuality, and he also claimed that another scout asked him if his mom was a prostitute. However, the NFL investigated the incident and claimed it was not true. Teams were also worried about his maturity. All that doesn’t change the fact about how talented Guice is. Guice is a very powerful runner that isn’t afraid to run through you. That is something that the Redskins desperately needed. The Redskins got great value with Guice at 59.
Worst Pick- Safety Troy Apke
Apke was just a 1-year starter for Penn State. If you thought you have heard of Troy Apke but can’t remember when you did, you probably heard his name when he ran a 4.34 at the NFL Combine. That made a lot of news, and everybody joked about it because he is white. His combine showed how athletic he was, but his great workout doesn’t change the fact that he is a 5th-round talent at best. He struggles with tackling and ball skills. He will see very little playing time this year.
New York Giants
Best Pick- Guard Will Hernandez
The Giants desperately needed an upgrade on the offensive line, as it was one of the worst in the NFL last year. Things only got worse for them when Justin Pugh signed with the Cardinals. So, the Giants didn’t over think it with the 34th pick. Many speculated that Hernandez would have been a late 1st-rounder, but that was not the case for the highly athletic guard. Hernandez had a crazy good performance at the NFL combine, including 37 reps on the bench press. Hernandez is a monster run blocker, which is great news for the 2nd overall pick, Saquan Barkley. His pass blocking still needs work, but many believe Hernandez has the highest upside among any guards on this draft. Hernandez at 34 is a best-case scenario for the Giants.
Worst Pick- Defensive Tackle R.J. McIntosh
Out of all the Giants’ picks, McIntosh was the only pick that had people confused. It has nothing to do with McIntosh, but more of the fact that they took another defensive tackle earlier in the draft. The Giants had a lot of issues last year, so they probably should of went secondary. But, McIntosh is a very athletic defensive tackle that will rotate in.
Dallas Cowboys
Best Pick- Tackle/Guard Connor Williams
Williams had some of the worst luck in 2017. After a phenomenal 2016 campaign, things went down for Williams in 2017. He struggled in the 1st game of the year against Maryland, then got hurt with a torn meniscus. Then Williams came back for the final two games, and was getting back to his 2016 dominant form. However, that wasn’t enough for the teams to take a chance on Williams as he fell to pick 50. There, the Dallas Cowboys picked him up. Is Williams a guard or a tackle? Though Williams played left tackle in college, Cowboys announced him as a guard. But the Cowboys have moved guards to tackle before, so time will tell. They might start him at guard, and move him to tackle in a couple years. But, the Cowboys helped the offensive line with a great run blocker, and a dominant pass blocker. Many argued he would have been a 1st-round pick if he didn’t tear his meniscus.
Worst pick- Defensive End Dorance Armstrong
Armstrong had a great sophomore year, but had a disappointing junior year. Armstrong has been dealing with issues in his college year. Armstrong has shown he can be talented, but he’s inconsistent. He’ll have a hard time fitting in with the decently stacked Cowboys’ defensive ends.
Philadelphia Eagles
Best Pick- Tight End Dallas Goedert
The Eagles added another weapon to an already deadly offense who’s a very solid blocker and receiver. He’s the only draft pick for the Eagles that will have a day 1 impact. Him and Ertz will make a very solid 1-2 combo. This pick was also good, because it was right before the Cowboys, and the Cowboys needed a tight end badly after Witten retired.
Worst Pick- Offensive Tackle Jordan Mailata
Mailata was a professional rugby player in Australia. He’s a massive player at 6’8, 346 lbs. he’s an easy player to get excited about, but it’s important to know he’s never played American football in his life. Mailata isn’t the 1st athletic rugby player to be drafted. These athletic rugby players in the past didn’t make it in the NFL, so it’s hard to see Mailata making it.