National Football League

NFC East All-22 roster: Dak Prescott, A.J. Brown headline best players at every position

Updated Aug. 15, 2024 1:16 p.m. ET

Two years ago, the long-dormant NFC East was the best division in football. Then last season, to varying degrees, all four teams seemed to fall apart.

But that might turn out to be a blip because the division seemed to restock with talent over the offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles were among the biggest free-agent spenders. The New York Giants found a No. 1 receiver in the draft and started rebuilding their offensive line. The Washington Commanders drafted a franchise quarterback, hired a new coach and retooled their entire roster.

And the Dallas Cowboys, well, they didn't do much in the offseason despite an "all-in" proclamation from Jerry Jones, but they still have most of their key players from a team that went 12-5 last year.

There is, undeniably, talent all over this division, including elite skill players, powerful offensive linemen, and some of the best pass rushers in the NFL. The talent is so deep, in fact, that it's hard to come up with the best All-22 in the division without leaving out some incredible players.

Still, it's worth a try. So here is the FOX Sports NFC East All-22 roster, comprised of the best players at each position in what might turn out to be the best division in the NFL once again:

Quarterback

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

It wasn't an easy decision to select Prescott over Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, and it'll probably be a controversial one. Halfway through last season, Hurts might have come out on top. But Hurts' late slump last season was alarming. So was the dip in his yards per carry from 4.6 to 3.9 yards.

Prescott obviously can't match Hurts' running ability, but he has proven to be a superior passer. Hurts has two dynamic receivers (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith) and Prescott has only one (CeeDee Lamb), but Prescott keeps putting up electric passing numbers. He's topped 4,400 yards in each of the last three seasons he's been fully healthy, and he threw an NFL-high 36 touchdown passes last year.

Hurts' best passing numbers haven't come close to that.

It matters that Hurts took his team to a Super Bowl and Prescott has generally been a postseason mess. But Prescott still has a longer and better résumé overall and seems more equipped to carry a team on his own. So he gets the nod, albeit barely.

Running back

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley wins this spot in a literal runaway, even coming off a down season in New York (962 yards, six touchdowns in 14 games) and even though he's only been mostly healthy in two of his six NFL seasons. Consider that two years ago, running behind a pretty bad Giants offensive line (is there any other kind?) he ran for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Barkley is a powerful runner and has been a solid receiver (98 catches, 618 yards over the last two seasons) despite the line woes and the fact that he was the focal point of the Giants offense. He may not have lived up to his "gold jacket" potential yet, but his numbers are pretty impressive considering his lack of a competent surrounding cast.

The Eagles are obviously expecting a huge season from him now that he's on a better team. Regardless, the competition at running back in this division is unimpressive. Brian Robinson has shown promise in Washington, but he's yet to have an 800-yard season. Devin Singletary will be a nice fit in New York, but he hasn't topped 900 yards in any of his five NFL seasons. And Ezekiel Elliott just turned 29 and is back with a Cowboys team that thought he was done two years ago.

Wide receivers

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Lamb, Brown and Smith are, quite frankly, three of the NFL's best by almost any measure.

Lamb, who is about to deservedly get the richest contract for a receiver in history, has been remarkable for the Cowboys despite their consistent lack of a good No. 2 receiver. He shook off all the extra attention for a ridiculous 135 catches, 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

And in some ways, what Brown and Smith have done is even more impressive. They have to share the spotlight and the ball, and they are both still putting up crazy stats. Smith, as a No. 2 receiver, has averaged 88 catches, 1,131 yards and seven touchdowns over the last two years. And Brown has averaged 97 catches, 1,476 yards and nine touchdowns.

The only other receiver in the division who comes close to them is Washington's Terry McLaurin, who at least deserves an honorable mention for his four straight 1,000-yard seasons while playing for eight different starting quarterbacks. But he's not really in the Lamb-Brown-Smith class.

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Tight end

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

This is a close call between Goedert and Dallas' Jake Ferguson. Goedert has long been on the verge of becoming one of the NFL's elite tight ends, but something always seems to get in his way. It's usually injuries. In fact, the 29-year-old missed eight games over the last two seasons. That was particularly disappointing in 2022 when he was on his way to a huge year (55 catches, 702 yards in just 12 games).

The 25-year-old Ferguson is now on the verge of passing him after his 71-catch, 761-yard, five-touchdown season last year. In fact, he probably will since he might end up being the second option in the Cowboys' passing attack this season behind Lamb.

But for now, Goedert maintains a slight hold on this spot. His numbers might not be off the charts, but they remain impressive considering he's sometimes an afterthought in the Eagles offense and hampered by a quarterback who would rather run than dump the ball off. He's a powerful blocker, too.

Offensive line

LT Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles

LG Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys

C Tyler Biadasz, Washington Commanders

RG Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys

RT Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

There really should be no surprise that the Eagles and Cowboys dominate this category. They've each had one of the NFL's best offensive lines for years. And had Eagles center Jason Kelce not retired after last season, the two teams would've locked down all five spots.

The tackles were the easiest spots to fill. Mailata on the left and Johnson on the right are considered among the best at their positions in the NFL. A case could be made for Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas, but that's mostly based on his 2022 season before injuries hurt him again last year.

Right guard was easy, too. Martin is a nine-time, first-team All-Pro and the Cowboys line just looks different when he's healthy.

The other two spots were the ones that were surprisingly close. A case at left guard could be made for Philadelphia's Landon Dickerson, one of the best at that position. But Smith, a second-team All-Pro last year, might have been the best guard in football. He was certainly in the Top 5.

And at center, well, there's not a lot there in this division, at least not yet. The Cowboys probably had the best one in Biadasz, but now he centers a potentially shaky Commanders offensive line. Who knows how that will work out with a lesser cast around him? And he's got competition in Cam Jurgens, who switches from guard to replace a future Hall of Fame center in Philly and is obviously in a much better position to succeed.

But for now, Biadasz gets the spot based on his performance at this position last year.

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Defensive line

DE DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys

DE Bryce Huff, Philadelphia Eagles

DT Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants

DT Daron Payne, Washington Commanders

If there's one place the NFC East appears loaded, it's in the front of the defense — the line, and really the front seven once edge rushers are included. They're particularly stacked in the middle thanks to New York's Dexter Lawrence, maybe the best defensive tackle in football now that Aaron Donald has retired.

The second DT spot could have gone to either Daron Payne or Jonathan Allen, though neither are coming off particularly good seasons. Payne is two years younger and had a monster, 11.5-sack season in 2022, so he gets the nod for having a slightly higher upside.

Even at 32, Dallas' DeMarcus Lawrence was an easy choice for one spot on the end. He's not the pass rusher he used to be, but he might be the best run-stopping end in football. Meanwhile, Huff (who is listed as a defensive end and probably will play mostly on the line this season) is a dangerous pass rusher. He had 10 sacks last year despite being a part-time player for the Jets. He's not considered much of a run-stopper, but the truth is that in New York he didn't get much of a chance.

Linebackers/Edge rushers

Edge rusher Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

MLB Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders

Edge rusher Brian Burns, New York Giants

There are some very good edge rushers throughout this division. But to be honest, it's hard to argue any of them really deserve to be in the same sentence in this division with Parsons and Burns.

Parsons was the easiest call. He's been one of the best defensive players in the NFL since he burst into the league three years ago. He's finished in the Top 3 in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year all three seasons and he already has 40.5 sacks. Burns, the new Giant after an offseason trade with Carolina, can't match that production, but he's still a two-time Pro Bowler with 46 sacks in five seasons. And New York seems ready to turn him loose.

The middle spot was a little more difficult, because Bobby Okereke of the Giants is emerging as one of the best middle linebackers in football. He's also only 27, is a tackling machine and he's coming off a terrific season. Wagner, though, is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. He's been a first- or second-team All-Pro in 10 straight seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in nine of them. And he's had over 100 tackles in all 12 of his NFL seasons.

Yes, he's 34. But he had an NFL-high 183 tackles last season and 9.5 sacks over the last two years. If he's declining, he's doing a great job of hiding it. The decline is probably coming, of course. It's why the Commanders were able to get him for just $6.5 million in free agency. But until it actually happens, Okereke will have to wait his turn.

Cornerbacks

DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys

Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys

If this were 2022, the Eagles might have a good argument to have their corners included on this list. But that feels like a long, long time ago. Right now, there is no question that the best secondary in the division belongs to the Cowboys. And it might not be close if Diggs is fully recovered from his torn ACL.

Diggs, in case anyone forgot, had a ridiculous 11 interceptions back in 2021 and followed that up with a much more normal three interceptions in 2022. Then he tore his ACL last September, and it looked like the Cowboys' secondary would be in trouble. Except that Bland stepped in, picked off nine passes and returned an NFL-record five of them for touchdowns.

They are both excellent in coverage and there probably hasn't been a ball-hawking duo this good in the NFL in quite some time.

Meanwhile, in Philly, Darius Slay is probably still the closest division competitor to the Dallas duo. But he's 33 now and coming off a down season that was hampered by injuries. Two years ago, he and James Bradberry were the best corner duo in the NFL. But Bradberry was so bad last year he's now a second-team safety.

Safeties

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

Malik Hooker, Dallas Cowboys

This might arguably be the thinnest spot in the division. There are a few promising young players on the horizon, but most of the good veterans, like Xavier McKinney and Kam Curl, have already left.

Hooker is the best of what remains. He's a better run-stopper than he is in coverage. He's not bad there, but he needs to make more of an impact. Dallas could use more than the one interception he had last year. But he really is solid support behind the Cowboys' outstanding corners.

The other good veteran is actually a returning one — Gardner-Johnson, who is back with the Eagles after one, injury-filled year in Detroit. They are really counting on him being the spark to the Philly defense the way he was in 2022. They're also counting on him being the impact player who had six interceptions in 12 games that season.

That might be a lot to ask given that he's missed 24 games over the last three seasons. He's still only 26, though, and he's a lot more talented than most of the remaining safeties in the division.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.