The 2026 NFL offseason has seen some monumental changes taking place with teams moving on from coaches and players at will. While the coaching carousel has reared its head once again, the rosters will see several new faces as well.
Now, more than ever, we are seeing multiple teams being aggressive in the free agency market to bolster their O-lines, D-lines, receiver and secondary rooms, and more. In fact, reports indicate that over $1 billion was spent on player contract negotiations on the first day of free agency.
So, what has all this done? Well, for starters, most teams have new look rosters and coaching staff in a bid to improve upon their previous season. And with that, we turn our attention to the topic at hand.
2025-26 NFC East Recap
Before we go on to analyze which NFC East team is the current favorite to win the division in the 2026-27 NFL season, let us get a brief idea of how the previous season shaped up for these teams.
The NFC East had not seen a repeat winner ever since the 2004 season, when the Eagles won the division for the 4th year running. Well, that all changed in 2025-26 when Philadelphia again won the NFC East for the second year in a row. It was not pretty by any sort, and the Eagles had their fair share of problems within the roster, but eventually they finished 11-6 on the year and clinched the division title.
The only team that had a shot at challenging the Eagles was the Dallas Cowboys. A mixed season of sorts never really took off despite adding George Pickens to their roster. Dallas finished with a 7-9-1 record and missed the postseason for the second consecutive season.
After a stellar 2024-25 campaign, many thought the Washington Commanders would prove themselves yet again. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Injuries to key players, especially to quarterback Jayden Daniels, played a part in their downfall. The Commanders at one point went on an 8-game losing streak and only finished with 5 wins and 12 losses.
The New York Giants relied heavily on rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, especially after top wide receiver Malik Nabers was forced out early in the season due to injury. Just when it looked like the Giants might have something to offer, Skattebo was also lost due to injury, and New York never recovered. The Giants fell to 4-13 on the season, ending in last place in the division.
NFC East Division Winner Odds 2026-27
The Philadelphia Eagles are currently the team favored to clinch the NFC East divisional crown once again in the 2026-27 NFL season, as per the odds on FanDuel. The table below represents the latest division winner odds for the NFC East ahead of the upcoming season.
New customers only. Must be 21+ in most jurisdictions, but 18+ in DC, KY, and WY. Offer is valid only in eligible regulated states/jurisdictions and not available in AR; void where prohibited. First online real-money wager only; cashed-out or bonus-funded bets are excluded.
Understanding how to bet on NFL games is crucial for maximizing the value of our expert picks and making informed wagers each week.
Jaxson Dart. Malik Nabers. Cam Skattebo. Isaiah Likely.
2026-27 NFC East Key Changes, Strength of Schedule, and Draft
Now, let us shift our focus to some of the key offseason changes these teams have made so far, along with the strength of schedule and draft picks for the NFC East teams for the upcoming season.
Key Offseason Changes
The Eagles have lost a couple of key players, especially on defense, this offseason. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips signed a 4-year deal with the Panthers, while safety Reed Blankenship signed a 3-year deal with Houston.
They also lost linebacker Nakobe Dean, who went to the Raiders. Philadelphia’s roster additions include edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, cornerback Riq Woolen, and wide receiver Marquise Brown, among others.
Similar to the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys also made some moves on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys have brought in Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator and have made multiple defensive coaching changes.
The biggest deal they made was to trade for pass rusher Rashan Gary, who also took a pay cut to join them. They also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke to add depth to the safety room. On offense, the Cowboys franchise tagged wide receiver George Pickens and re-signed RB Javonte Williams.
The biggest moves the Washington Commanders have made this offseason include new hires for the offensive and defensive coordinator positions. David Blough has been promoted to replace Kliff Kingsbury as the new OC, while Daronte Jones has been hired to replace Joe Whitt Jr. as the new DC for the Commanders.
On the roster side of things, Washington has let go of multiple older free agents in a bid to become younger and faster on the field. Key signings include those of Edge Odafe Oweh, Edge K’Lavon Chaisson, LT Laremy Tunsil, and CB Amik Robertson.
The New York Giants have been extremely busy taking care of business in the offseason. First and foremost, they signed former Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh as their new head coach after firing Brian Daboll midway through the 2025-26 NFL season.
On to the player signings, and the Giants have made quite a few notable additions. Key additions on offense include WR Darnell Mooney, WR Calvin Austin III, TE Isaiah Likely, and FB Patrick Ricard. The defense is also strengthened by the signings of LB Tremaine Edmunds and CB Greg Newsome II, while the special teams have been revamped with the signings of P Jordan Stout and K Jason Sanders.
Strength of Schedule
The strength of schedule for the NFC East teams lies around the middle of the pack. The Commanders (.502) and the Giants (.498) have the toughest schedule in the division, but even then, their schedules are ranked at number 16 and 17, respectively, among the 32 teams.
The Cowboys (.493) are slightly better placed as their strength of schedule is ranked as the 20th most difficult in the league for the upcoming season. The Eagles (.481), meanwhile, have the 23rd toughest schedule.
Coming to the draft picks, the Philadelphia Eagles hold a total of 9 selections as of now in the 2026 NFL draft. They have 4 picks within the top 100, with their first one coming at number 23 overall in the first round. They then have the 54th (second round), 68th (third round), and the 98th (third round) overall picks.
The Dallas Cowboys hold only 8 draft picks in the upcoming draft. But they have the advantage of selecting twice in the first round, with the first pick coming in at number 12 overall and the second one at number 20 overall. Their next pick is the number 92 overall pick, directly in the third round.
This year’s draft may not be the best one for the Commanders, who have just 6 selections to make as of now. Furthermore, after their number 7 overall pick in round one, they do not select again until pick number 71 in the third round.
New York has just 7 selections, but two of them are inside the top 40. Their first pick is the 5th overall pick of the draft, and their second selection is in round 2 of the draft at number 37 overall.
Early prediction: There have been quite a few changes in the NFC East this offseason, but even then, considering the draft picks, schedule, and overall roster, the Eagles are still our pick to top the division for a third season in a row.
(The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!)
I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
NFL 
nfl 
