NFC East rankings after the Micah Parsons trade

The Dallas Cowboys shocked the NFL world on Thursday by agreeing to trade star linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers one week before the start of the 2025 season. After months of contentious negotiations between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones, the Cowboys surprisingly traded Parsons, who then received a record contract extension from the Packers.

Parsons' trade impacted multiple teams, specifically the division he was leaving (NFC East) and the division he was heading to (NFC North). It's not often that the departure of one player who's not a quarterback can impact an entire division. In the NFC East, the Cowboys were expected to compete for a wild-card spot, along with the Washington Commanders, for second place in the division.

The outlook for Dallas in 2025 is now unclear. Sure, quarterback Dak Prescott is back and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is healthy, but the Cowboys have more questions than answers. Remember, they also have a new coaching staff with a first-time head coach (Brian Schottenheimer).

What does the NFC East look like in a post-Parsons world? We've ranked each of the four NFC East teams ahead of the 2025 season.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

A popular offseason topic was that the upstart Commanders could knock off the defending Super Bowl champions. Not yet. Washington was smart this offseason, improving the offensive and defensive lines. Everyone knows the Eagles are loaded in the trenches, and when they lose someone, they reload. That remains the case.

While Philadelphia lost a pair of starting defensive linemen, there have been encouraging reports on some young potential replacements this summer. The offensive line is back, the tush push remains legal, Saquon Barkley is coming off a magical year, and the Eagles still have receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Defensively, the Eagles added first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell and re-signed Zach Baun. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is back and is a contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Don't buy the narrative that the Eagles will fall off in 2025.

2. Washington Commanders

The Commanders remain a strong No. 2 in the NFC East. Of the three other teams, Washington benefits most from Parsons leaving. He had his best games against the Commanders. So, this offseason, GM Adam Peters traded for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle and used a first-round pick on offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Offensively, Terry McLaurin is under contract for three more seasons, and a motivated Deebo Samuel looked phenomenal in training camp. Washington's offense should remain among the NFL's best with quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the way.

Defensively, the Commanders focused on stopping the run. Saquon Barkley ran all over Washington in all three games last season. Washington's secondary should also be much improved, so if it can slow down Philadelphia's run game, the Commanders will like their matchups with the Eagles' star wide receivers.

3. New York Giants

Yes, the Giants will be better than the Cowboys. You have a GM and coaching staff battling for their jobs. They signed two veteran quarterbacks and used a first-round pick on another. Jaxson Dart looked ready in the preseason, but the Giants will stick with Russell Wilson early. The good news is that he has Malik Nabers on his side. Running back Tyrone Tracy and rookie Cam Skattebo should lead a solid running game.

Where New York could be really good is on defense. The Giants' defensive line was already excellent and they added edge rusher Abdul Carter. So they have Dexter Lawrence in the middle with Brian Burns and Carter on the edges. The secondary should be improved, too, with the arrival of free agent Jevon Holland and Paulsen Adebo.

4. Dallas Cowboys

Remember that image of Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott eating a turkey leg in a November 2023 blowout win over the Commanders on Thanksgiving? Washington was horrible, while Dallas was riding high with the best quarterback in the division and the best pass rusher. Boy, how times have changed. The Commanders now have the best quarterback in the division, and Dallas no longer has Parsons. And the Eagles are better than ever. Meanwhile, Washington has a competent GM and is led by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

The Cowboys were still a playoff contender with Parsons. He's that much of a difference-maker. There's no way that defense will improve this season without him. Offensively, the Cowboys will need to score a lot. Fortunately, they should be able to score, but the Eagles and Commanders are still better offensively.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: NFC East rankings: Where are the Commanders after Micah Parsons trade?