The NFC East enters the upcoming season with its usual share of uncertainty and high expectations across all four teams.
The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to earn the division crown for the third consecutive time after but after several offseason changes, the door may have opened for another team to knock the Eagles off.
Dallas enters with a re-tooled defensive unit, New York looks to bounce back behind structural offensive upgrades, and Washington works through significant offensive line setbacks.
With week one just around the corner, the "First Things First" crew predicted the NFC East, projecting how the season will unfold for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders.
Each panelist had a different pick for division champion, reflecting the uncertainty of the division of these four squads.
Nick Wright selected the Philadelphia Eagles to win the division with a 13-4 record, projecting the Dallas Cowboys in second at 9-8, the New York Giants in third at 7-10 and the Washington Commanders fourth at 5-12.
Wright favored Philadelphia despite offseason roster turnover, pointing to quarterback resilience and potential trade deadline activity.
"All offseason, I have said the Eagles could be 13-4, they could be 7-10, and firing Sirianni. I landed for the Philadelphia Eagles at 13-4," Sirianni said. "I think A.J. Brown is addition by subtraction. I think they know the salary cap chickens are coming home to roost in the next couple years because of the void year, so they will be extra aggressive at the trade deadline, as [Eagles general manager] Howie [Roseman] often is."
The Cowboys did not fully convince Wright as he projected them to miss the postseason.
"Since Dan Quinn left, they've been awful. They've got nine wins. To me, I think they'll be fun, interesting, but not good enough," Wright said.
He went on to pick New York third, expressing skepticism about quarterback Jaxson Dart.
"Jaxson Dart's not wearing his hat backwards. He's wearing it sideways and cocked with maybe a bandana underneath it. And it is not someone you can trust to be your franchise quarterback," Wright said.
Wright added that Washington faces significant depth concerns.
"I don't like their weapons. The offensive line is banged up. They have a bad defense," Wright said.
Chris Broussard differed at the top of the standings, picking the Dallas Cowboys to win the division, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles in second as a playoff wildcard, the New York Giants in third, and the Washington Commanders in fourth. Broussard expects an improved defensive unit to propel Dallas to the top spot.
