2014 NFL Draft: NFC East grades for every pick from rounds 1-3

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU) holds up a jersey after being selected as the number twelve overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the New York Giants at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS (A)

Odell Beckham, Jr., WR, Louisiana State (A)

Eli Manning struggled mightily in 2013. Might as well get him some options on the outside other than Victor Cruz. Who cares if ODB is a Cruz-type player? The Giants now have a nice trio at wideout with Cruz, Beckham, and Ruben Randle. This was a very good pick in my eyes. Beckham should have an immediate impact and will greatly improve the Giants’ offense. Beckham is essentially Hakeem Nicks’ replacement.

Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State (A)

I absolutely loved this pick. While there’s a low demand for centers in the draft, Richburg potentially had first-round value. The Giants’ offense struggled last year — Eli Manning played terribly because of a bad offensive line and receiving corps, which the team has addressed nicely in the first two rounds.

Jay Bromley, DE. Syracuse (A-)

Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are long gone. That Giants front four that helped them get in Tom Brady’s face and win two Super Bowls? Gone. Only Jason Pierre-Paul is left. Bromley can be moved inside, or he can start at end across JPP. Another good pick that addresses a major need for the team here. It was a bit of a reach, but he can easily play 3-tech and be an effective replacement for Linval Joseph in the interior.

Overall: A. The Giants have had one of the best drafts so far.

DALLAS COWBOYS (B)

Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame (B+)

The Cowboys do have a need at right tackle. Tyron Smith will be the starter for years on the left side, and now the team hopes that Martin can start on the right. This is about where I thought Martin should be drafted, so it’s not a reach or a steal by any means. He was my third-best tackle behind Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews, and was actually the fourth tackle taken, so that’s good for the Cowboys. However, the defense has holes everywhere — front seven and secondary. I would’ve taken Ha Ha Clinton-Dix here to fix some back end issues, or even a cornerback like Darqueze Dennard or Jason Verrett to help with pass coverage, something Dallas struggled mightily with last year. Martin is a good pick, but I would’ve gone with a defense player (as that’s where the team’s biggest needs are), so I can’t give Dallas an “A” here.

Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State (B)

Replacing Demarcus (Ware) with Demarcus (Lawrence). I like it. But Dallas traded up from 47th to 34th with the Redskins, and gave up a third round pick — it wasn’t a good trade. Lawrence was a good pick, as he’ll help fix some pass-rush issues, but he came at too steep of a price because of the trade.

Overall: B. I liked the Lawrence pick, but I don’t think it was worth sacrificing a third.