NFL Draft grades 2016: Washington among winners, Cowboys among losers in NFC East

The 2016 NFL Draft has come and gone, leaving us with just one more important thing to do: compile the grades awarded to the NFL's teams to understand who came away from the draft as winners and losers.

Washington's surprising run to the 2015 NFC East title behind Kirk Cousins made it clear that quarterback was not on the team's list of needs entering the draft, despite the departure of Robert Griffin III. But with an aging receiving corps at his disposal -- Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are each entering their ninth NFL seasons -- and a glaring need at cornerback addressed by a blockbuster signing of Josh Norman, getting Cousins another weapon was a key to Washington's draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of two NFC East teams to change coaches after the 2015 season, with Chip Kelly being unceremoniously booted after three years and replaced with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator (and Eagles quarterback) Doug Pederson. The team signaled its intentions to add a quarterback prior to the draft by forking over a ransom for the Cleveland Browns' No. 2 pick, and also seemed likely to upgrade at skill positions on offense after shipping DeMarco Murray to Tennessee.

An injury to Tony Romo totally changed the Dallas Cowboys' trajectory last season, as a potential Super Bowl team floundered without competent quarterback play. Keeping Romo healthy has to be the primary goal for Dallas, but given that the all-world offensive line in front of him really can't get better, nabbing a running back to take the pressure off the passing game and ensure Romo won't have to freelance so much seemed like a draft priority.

A lackluster New York Giants season led to the "resignation" of Tom Coughlin, and the promotion of offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to the big chair in the Big Apple. New York seemed likely to grab a running mate for Odell Beckham Jr. on the outside in this draft, but with value unlikely to be at the position at its second top-10 pick in as many years, the franchise's options seemed open.

While the Cowboys are understandably looking to replicate the formula that got them their best season in ages by adding Ezekiel Elliott to play the role Murray once did, the decision to stand pat and take a running back at No. 4 instead of dangling the pick to a team that coveted Jalen Ramsey was a puzzling one -- even before considering the scarce recent history of top-five running backs. The Cowboys didn't shy away from risk for the rest of their draft, either, grabbing injured Notre Dame stud Jaylon Smith in the second round, unfinished quarterback prospect Dak Prescott in the fourth and Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers as a developmental tight end in the sixth.

The Giants made a pun-ready pick at No. 10 with Eli Apple, who should be an upgrade to their secondary ... but would seem to be expected to sit at first, given the big bucks just given to Janoris Jenkins in free agency, and isn't Leonard Floyd, whom the Giants coveted before the Chicago Bears snuck up to nab him. Sterling Shepard could give Eli Manning a safety valve in the slot, but he's not the big receiver to line up opposite Beckham. Darius Thompson was regarded as a third-round steal, though, and a fifth-round pick of UCLA's wildly underrated Paul Perkins could turn into a coup.

Adding Josh Doctson to Cousins' group of wideouts gives him another go-to target alongside the emerging Jordan Reed, and one who should challenge Garcon as Washington's best every-down threat on the perimeter. With Su'a Cravens and Kendall Fuller, Jay Gruden's team also landed potential secondary starters on Day 2, allowing them to get a little riskier late, with little-known Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfield and Georgia burner Keith Marshall. Even without meaningfully addressing a need on the defensive line, this was a fine draft.