Top: Dez Bryant (left), Nate Allen.
Bottom: Jason Pierre-Paul.
The NFC East figures to be one of pro football’s most competitive divisions in 2010. Donovan McNabb going from the Eagles to the Redskins will only enhance that competition. So which rookies will have an impact on altering the balance of power in what should be a hotly contested division race? Easily the most hyped rookie in the division has been Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys, and the talented wide receiver from Oklahoma State will make Dallas’ receiving corps better. However, since the Cowboys already have a strong corps of wideouts and a top notch tight end, I doubt that Bryant will have as much impact as other rookies in the division. For instance, the Washington Redskins’ top draft pick, offensive tackle Trent Williams, is being penciled in to start at the all-important left tackle spot, where he will be responsible for protecting McNabb’s blind side. That’s a big responsibility for a rookie, but Williams is being touted as one of those players who you plug in at that spot and not worry about for the next 10 years or so. Williams will have a big impact, positive or negative, on the fate of the ‘Skins season. Another rookie being thrust into the limelight is Eagles’ safety Nate Allen. Allen was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries and will be on the field on opening day. The Eagles finished 26th in the league in pass defense last season, giving up 26 touchdown passes, so the defensive secondary will be under scrutiny this year. In New York, the feel-good story of training camp has been the emergence of home-town unheralded receiver Victor Cruz, who probably made the Giants’ roster with a tremendous showing in a Monday night preseason game with the Jets that opened the NY teams’ new stadium. But the Giants’ problem last year was defense. They completely caved in at the end of the year, giving up over 40 points per game in 3 of their last 4 contests, and brought in Perry Fewell from Buffalo as the new defensive coordinator. The Giants had hoped rookie DB Chad Allen would help shore up their secondary but he was involved in a car accident that could be career-threatening. New York went for defense in the early rounds of the draft, and with the way the team played last season, defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul, a quick defensive end being counted on to help the pass rush, and Linval Joseph, a stud tackle, should get extensive playing time and become huge factors in determining whether the season goes north or south. Also, 4th round pick Phillip Dillard is expected to eventually replace the departed Antonio Pierce at linebacker.