We have been utilizing this area of late to unveil our preseason All-Division groups, as is our annual custom round this time of yr. As at all times, the rosters have been compiled largely by a panel of 1, although there was vital enter from the writing and editorial workers at CBSSports.com after I took an preliminary run on the rosters by myself.
We started final week by working our approach by way of the AFC. Listed below are the rosters for the AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, and AFC West. This week, it is on to the NFC. We’ll start right this moment with the NFC East, and end the remainder of the convention all through this week. With out additional ado …
Offensive talent positions
QB: Dak Prescott (DAL)
RB: Saquon Barkley (NYG)
WR: CeeDee Lamb (DAL), A.J. Brown (PHI), Terry McLaurin (WAS)
TE: Dallas Goedert (PHI)
FLEX: Dalton Schultz (DAL)
Even with Cowboys left sort out Tyron Smith set to overlook a lot of the season, Prescott remains to be fairly clearly the very best quarterback on this division. Over the previous three seasons, he’s averaging 5,000-plus yards and 35 touchdowns towards solely 11 interceptions per 17 video games whereas finishing 67 p.c of his passes at a mean of seven.9 yards per try. Now absolutely wholesome after coping with accidents in 2020 and 2021, he ought to be capable of attain the heights of early final season.
Operating again on this division was a tricky name, as a result of varied components seemingly holding again every of the division’s starters. Antonio Gibson has seemingly been surpassed by Brian Robinson and/or J.D. McKissic. Miles Sanders nonetheless seems to be to be splitting work with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott. Ezekiel Elliott has been outplayed by Tony Pollard in every of the previous three seasons, and has more and more handled accidents and ineffectiveness. Barkley has been injured in every of the previous two seasons as effectively, however when wholesome, looks as if the very best guess for an enormous season. So he will get the nod.
Lamb is about for a monster yr. Dallas not has Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup might miss a portion of the season as he works his approach again from final season’s ACL tear. Lamb would possibly lead the league in targets consequently. He is been very environment friendly with the targets he is gotten to date in his profession, however had been working in a way more crowded pass-catcher room. Brown is an outright celebrity, and has already confirmed that he can put up large numbers in a low-volume passing offense. There is no motive that ought to change a lot — if in any respect — in Philadelphia. McLaurin has equally put up large numbers regardless of constantly poor quarterback play, so having Carson Wentz as his signal-caller should not undermine him this yr.
Goedert and Schultz ought to every function as the highest secondary choices of their respective passing video games. We at first had Kadarius Toney penciled into the flex spot, however his persistent harm points throughout camp led us to show to Schultz as a substitute.
Offensive line
OT: Andrew Thomas (NYG), Lane Johnson (PHI)
G: Zack Martin (DAL), Landon Dickerson (PHI)
C: Jason Kelce (PHI)
With Smith out for the yr, the second sort out spot on this division was up for grabs between Thomas and Jordan Mailata. Each are worthy of robust consideration, however we determined to go along with the rising younger star who has extra of a pedigree. Johnson, in the meantime, stays one of many high proper tackles within the NFL and the very best participant on arguably the league’s greatest offensive line.
Martin is both the very best or second-best inside offensive lineman within the league, alongside Quenton Nelson. He is missed simply 9 video games in eight NFL seasons, and the one he missed final yr was resulting from COVID-19, not an harm. Dickerson stepped into the lineup at guard final season and excelled instantly. With robust safety on both facet of him, he ought to proceed to progress. Kelce is coming off yet one more Professional Bowl and All-Professional season, has not missed a sport since 2014, and did not come again for one final yr to not play at an especially excessive degree.
Defensive entrance
EDGE: Demarcus Lawrence (DAL), Haason Reddick (PHI)
IDL: Jonathan Allen (WAS), Javon Hargrave (PHI)
LB: Micah Parsons (DAL), Blake Martinez (NYG)
FLEX: Leonard Williams (NYG)
There’s an attention-grabbing group of edge rushers on this division. Along with Lawrence and Reddick, there’s Chase Young and Montez Sweat in Washington, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat in Philly, and Kayvon Thibodeaux in New York. However Lawrence, when wholesome, is the very best particular person participant amongst this group resulting from his game-wrecking capacity towards the run and upside as a cross rusher. Reddick has reached new heights since shifting to the sting full time. Graham is getting up there in age and Sweat has but to develop into an elite rushman; Younger will miss a number of video games recovering from his ACL harm; Montez Sweat took a step backward (like most of Washington’s protection) final season; and Thibodeaux is now coping with an harm of his personal. That each one made our choice right here a lot simpler.
There have been much more choices on the defensive inside. Along with Allen, Hargrave, and Williams, there’s nonetheless Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis in Philly, Da’Ron Payne in Washington, Dexter Lawrence in New York, and Osa Odighizuwa in Dallas. We in the end leaned to Allen resulting from his pass-rush capacity, Hargrave as a result of he is likely to be the very best run/cross penetrator among the many whole group, and Williams as a result of he could possibly be unleashed in new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s highly-aggressive scheme.
Parsons was an absolute no-brainer right here. He is not a linebacker — he is an alien. Martinez performed in solely three video games final yr however previous to that was a constant pressure towards the run and confirmed enchancment in protection. We’re betting on a bounce-back.
Defensive backfield
CB: Trevon Diggs (DAL), Darius Slay (PHI), Kendall Fuller (WAS)
SAF: Jayron Kearse (DAL), Xavier McKinney (NYG)
Diggs presumably will not intercept 11 passes and take two of them again for six factors once more, however he additionally presumably will not surrender over 1,000 yards in protection once more. He won’t be a First Crew All-Professional, however anyone who makes as many performs on the ball as he does is a rattling good participant, even when a flawed one. Slay bounced again to his typical Professional Bowl kind final yr, and with the Eagles including expertise at each degree of the protection, he needs to be in place to succeed. Fuller retains chugging alongside as a strong slot nook, and we’re betting on him persevering with to try this.
Kearse was the unsung hero of the Dallas protection final season, a security who can primarily play linebacker but additionally lock up tight ends in protection. He is an vital chess piece for Dan Quinn, and as long as he is wholesome, there isn’t any actual motive to count on a step backward. McKinney is prone to be a bit lonely on the again finish of the Giants protection as one of many few gamers who is not a legal responsibility. However he ought to be capable of emerge as a succesful center-field sort security nonetheless — he already made strides final yr.
Specialists
Ok: Jake Elliott (PHI)
P: Bryan Anger (DAL)
RET: KaVontae Turpin (DAL)
I will not lie … I requested our resident kicking knowledgeable (John Breech) who he thinks are the very best kickers and punters in every division, and replica/pasted these names onto every All-Division group. We already noticed through the preseason how harmful Turpin may be as a return man. He ought to proceed to make performs as soon as the true video games start.
