Ranking the Commanders' defense and special teams against NFC rivals in 2023

Commanders position groups vs. NFC East - DL

1. Washington Commanders

Every team in the division has multiple studs along the defensive line. But the Washington Commanders are the strongest across the board – interior, edge, depth.

They have three outstanding starters, along with a fourth in Chase Young who could return to form and become the best of them all. The Commanders also have the best group of interior linemen in the entire league.

If Young falters (or gets dealt), one or two of the many youngsters they have on the edge will have to step up. If not, the line is still very good, but not elite.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Fletcher Cox may finally be slowing down. No matter. Rookie Jalen Carter and second-year defensive tackle Jordan Davis, both of the national champion Georgia Bulldogs, are on hand to carry on the tradition.

They lost Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Philadelphia Eagles still have Milton Williams to give them an interior rotation almost as formidable as Washington. Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat are very good ends, but Derek Barnett is returning from an ACL injury, which could hurt their depth.

3. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are ahead of the New York Giants because two players flipped positions. Kayvon Thibodeaux is now playing the edge in a 3-4. And Micah Parsons is now going to be listed as a defensive end in a 4-3. It’s just semantics.

Parsons plays wherever he wants. He is the best defensive player in the division and may inherit the mantle of league's best Aaron Donald this season. The Cowboys also have stud end DeMarcus Lawrence to hold down the fort while his teammate runs wild.

Sam Williams and Dorrance Armstrong return for depth. The Cowboys' problems come in the middle of the line. If rookie Mazi Smith performs, it makes a huge difference. If he doesn’t, teams will try to exploit the weak middle and lure the aggressive Parsons into diving inside.

The Cowboys have some veteran depth inside, but it is mediocre at best. Smith’s quick development is critical.

4. New York Giants

Even without counting Thibodeaux as a lineman, the Giants have a very good front three anchored by the underrated Dexter Lawrence. Leonard Williams and the newly-acquired A’Shawn Robinson are solid ends, provided the latter is fully recovered from his meniscus tear.

The Giants snatched up Rakeem Nunez-Roches from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help out on the interior, but they don’t have much depth on the outside. They will rely on their edge linebackers to provide a lot of pass pressure.