May 14, 2026

Preseason All-NFC East team: Defense edition

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

Quinyon Mitchell has quickly become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

At this point in the offseason, NFL rosters are pretty much set, at least in terms of players expected to make any kind of reasonable impact. And so, let's take a look at the NFC East and determine which team has the best players at each position. Yesterday, we started with the offense. Today, we'll look at the defense.

Edge defenders: Brian Burns, Giants; Jonathan Greenard, Eagles

Burns finished second in the NFL with 16.5 sacks in 2025. He headlines the division's edge defenders. And then it gets interesting. Greenard had a down year in 2025, but he had 24.5 combined sacks in 2023 and 2024.

I expect Abdul Carter to make a bit of a leap in Year 2 after finishing strongly in 2025.

Jalyx Hunt had 38 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, 3 INTs (including a pick-six), a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups in the Eagles' final 11 games last season. He gets in on the second team over guys like Odafe Oweh, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Rashan Gary.

This group is a little depleted after the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons.

Second team: Abdul Carter, Giants; Jalyx Hunt, Eagles

Interior defensive line: Jalen Carter, Eagles; Quinnen Williams, Cowboys

Dexter Lawrence used to headline this group every year, but he's off to Cincinnati. That leaves Jalen Carter as the most talented lineman in the division, though he had a disappointing 2025 season.

Quinnen Williams and Jordan Davis are both excellent run stuffers. We'll give the nod to Williams on the first-team defense, with Davis making the second team. And then the final spot goes to Moro Ojomo, who led all NFC East interior linemen in sacks last season, and who is going to get a $20+ million per year contract next offseason, assuming he stays healthy and continues to play the way he played last year.

Second team: Jordan Davis, Eagles; Moro Ojomo, Eagles

Off-ball linebacker: Zack Baun, Eagles; Tremaine Edmunds, Giants

Baun had a downtick in production in 2025, and he still had 123 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 INTs, and 7 pass breakups. He's the best off-ball linebacker in the division.

Edmunds played for five seasons in Buffalo and then the last three in Chicago. He signed with the Giants for three years, $36 million. He has had 100 or more tackles in all eight seasons of his career. Professional linebacker, 4 INTs last year.

On my second team, I like Jihaad Campbell's chances of a Year 2 breakout after he got his NFL sea legs last season and played well when he got opportunities. Of Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, the two highly drafted rookies round out of Ohio State selected by the Giants and Commanders, respectively, I like Styles' chances of producing immediately over Reese's.

One other omission who is at least worth a mention is the Cowboys' DeMarvion Overshown, who has been a difference maker when healthy, but has missed 33 of a possible 52 career NFL games with serious injuries.

Second team: Jihaad Campbell, Eagles; Sonny Styles, Commanders

Cornerback: Quinyon Mitchell, Eagles; Cooper DeJean, Eagles, DaRon Bland, Cowboys

It's pretty crazy how much better Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are than all the other cornerbacks in the NFC East.

Second team: Cobie Durant, Cowboys; Dru Phillips, Giants; Riq Woolen, Eagles

Safety: Caleb Downs, Cowboys; Jevón Holland, Giants

Safety is easily the weakest position in the NFC East, and it's headlined by a rookie in Caleb Downs, who the Cowboys selected with the 11th overall pick.

Thereafter, I present Jevón Holland, Jalen Thompson, and Andrew Mukuba with no conviction whatsoever. If you don't think any of them deserve to make an all-division team, I agree.

Second team: Jalen Thompson, Cowboys; Andrew Mukuba, Eagles