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QB Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Prescott gets the nod over Kirk Cousins for one key reason: Efficiency. Prescott completed nearly 68 percent of his passes his rookie season. He was put in a perfect position to succeed, and he capitalized from Day 1. Leading his Cowboys to a 13-3 record alongside fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott, Prescott threw 23 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Prescott shouldn't surprise anyone this year, and without the shadow of an injured Tony Romo hanging over his head, we can only expect him to get better as he gets more confident in 2017.
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RB Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
The latest running back to be churned out of the Dallas running machine, Elliott led the league in rushing yards at a whopping 1,631 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. His aggressive running style stood out to those that watched him, as Elliott seemed to embrace contact rather than shy away from it. Despite the undeniable benefit of the best offensive line in football, Elliott had 938 yards after contact in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. If Elliott can become a better receiver out of the backfield he could be an ideal every down back, but for now Dallas is likely more than content with the amount of mileage he's putting on.
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WR Odell Beckham, Giants
People get so wrapped up in the personality that Odell Beckham Jr. has become that they begin to ignore just how good of a receiver he is. OBJ was third in the league in receptions in 2016 -- behind the ageless Larry Fitzgerald and the electric Antonio Brown -- and he was third in yards behind Julio Jones and T.Y. Hilton. He's tied Randy Moss for most 100-yard games in a player's first three seasons at 19; become the fastest player to 250 receptions (38 games); tied Lance Alworth for fastest player to 4,000 receiving yards (42 games); and broken a myriad of other records too long to list.
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WR Dez Bryant, Cowboys
Bryant's role in the Dallas offense was a bit of an enigma last season, and while Bryant's numbers suffered from the talent around him, the threat of Bryant never did. He averaged a career high 15.9 yards per catch in 2016, gaining 796 yards on 50 receptions. Bryant has praised Prescott for how he's marshaled the offense, saying that "he's doing phenomenal with it. Just his attitude alone makes guys gravitate toward him and want to see him do good.'' With that attitude, as Bryant's relationship with Prescott continues to develop, it only seems fitting to assume an elite talent like Bryant will continue to improve from season to season as long as his athleticism holds up.
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WR Jamison Crowder, Redskins
Entering his third year, Crowder has become a key target for quarterback Kirk Cousins. As the No. 3 receiver in Washington's offense behind Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, he still notched 847 yards on 67 catches. He also led Washington receivers with seven touchdown receptions. Whether or not Crowder can thrive as a No. 1 receiver remains to be seen, but he'll have to learn quickly for the Redskins' sake. Washington threw the ball a ton last season, and they seem to be doubling down on that gameplan heading into 2017.
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TE Jordan Reed, Redskins
One of the more athletic receiving tight ends in the league, Reed is a young talent that is only held back by there not being enough passes to hit everyone. It may seem criminal to leave the Cowboys' Jason Witten off this list, but Reed brings a red zone presence and receiving threat that is almost unmatched among other tight ends not named Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham. With Jackson and Garcon leaving, Reed will complement Crowder as a key cog in the Redskins' offense. He enters 2017 as Washington's clear No. 1 tight end, and will be an important safety valve for Cousins.
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OT Tyron Smith, Cowboys
If he were in literally any other division, it would be difficult to not give this to Jason Peters, and Trent Williams could feel snubbed as well, but Tyron Smith is too good to ignore. Not only is his athleticism second to exactly zero tackles throughout the league, but his technique is enough to make a defensive end cry. Ends spend an inordinate amount of time finding their footing against Smith, because he's so good at getting them stumbling on their own feet. He'll eventually take the torch from Joe Thomas as the best tackle in the NFL, but he isn't going to wait for Thomas to retire to push for it.
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G Justin Pugh, Giants
Pugh's biggest obstacle is his health. He missed five games in 2016, and has missed nine in his career. If he can stay healthy, he's been the best player on Giants' line since he was drafted in 2013. Pugh has not been shy about his role there either. When he was asked about contract negotiations with the Giants (he's entering the final year of his rookie deal), he responded that he's "in the driver's seat." If he stays healthy in 2017, Pugh is absolutely right.
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C Travis Frederick, Cowboys
The Cowboys shocked fans and pundits alike when they selected Frederick 31st overall in 2013. Frederick, however, proved everyone wrong. He was named first team All-Pro in 2016 after making second team in both 2014 and 2015. He has become as essential to the Cowboys' line as Smith, handling protection calls. He also has been cited as a huge part of Dak Prescott's success by Prescott himself, and is recognized as an overall genius of the game. Frederick is a classic example of a team allowing a plan to come to fruition.
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G Zack Martin, Cowboys
Yet another All-Pro on the Cowboys' front five, Zack Martin was recognized as a stud before he was drafted. Taken by the Cowboys 16th overall in 2014, the Notre Dame grad has been named All-Pro three times (first team in 2014 and 2016, second team in 2015). He is a complement to Dallas's ridiculously strong left side, and with the departure of Doug Free alongside him, he'll be an even more important cog in Dallas's line heading into the new season. If he can handle the inexperienced La'el Collins properly, Dallas shouldn't miss a beat up front.
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OT Lane Johnson, Eagles
Johnson was suspended for 10 games in 2016 due to PED violations, but he's seeking to put that behind him. Philadelphia's ideal situation would be to move Johnson to starting left tackle, with Peters getting up in years. With a new diet, Johnson doesn't want to allow any room for the idea that he's juicing moving forward. When he was drafted fourth overall back in 2013, moving him around the line was always the plan. Now that his time is approaching, it will be interesting to see how one of the league's best right tackles makes the adjustment.
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DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants
There's no denying that JPP came storming back in 2016 after playing only half of 2015. Pierre-Paul went from one sack in 2015 to seven in 2016, earning the shiny new four-year contract that he signed in March. Pierre-Paul is a mainstay on a Giants defensive line that terrorized offenses. The Giants had 109 hurries, and Pierre-Paul was second on the team (behind Olivier Vernon) with 24 of them. The Giants were also second in the league in points allowed. Even with two and half fingers missing, he still has means of getting the backfield, and 2016 proved he has plenty left in the tank.
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DT Fletcher Cox, Eagles
In the 2016 offseason, Fletcher Cox signed an outrageous seven-year, $110 million contract, including $63 million guaranteed. His numbers weren't as inflated as they'd been in the past (6.5 sacks, 43 combined tackles), but that was partially because the contract put offenses on notice. He and defensive end Brandon Graham complement each other well on the Eagles' line, but a struggling secondary limited their effectiveness last season. Cox was also thrust into an entirely new defensive scheme, as new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's 4-3 was unfamiliar to him. 2017 will be a true test of where Cox stands in the hierarchy.
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DT Damon Harrison, Giants
"Snacks" had arguably his best year with the Giants, notching 86 tackles and 2.5 sacks from the interior position. Although he didn't put up the numbers that JPP or Olivier Vernon put up, his entire game was about collapsing the pocket and stuffing the run, both of which he did expertly. The outspoken lineman has had a chip on his shoulder ever since being an undrafted free agent, and although interior 4-3 lineman rarely put up outrageous numbers, Harrison was a major component of the Giants' success on defense.
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DE Olivier Vernon, Giants
The Giants had a really good 2016 defensive line, and Olivier Vernon may have been the best of the bunch. With a contract that set the market for pass rushers, Vernon's signing was met with serious raised eyebrows. Although he wasn't a world-beater, his 8.5 sacks, 64 tackles and general rabble-rousing showed why the Giants plucked Vernon from Miami. It's questionable whether Vernon was even their best offseason signing, that may go to someone else on this list, but he was undoubtedly one of the most influential.
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LB Ryan Kerrigan, Redskins
Kerrigan is a linebacker only in name, as he's on the field to do one thing and one thing only: hit the quarterback. That essentially makes this team a 5-2 base, but the Redskins are an anomaly in the NFC East, as they're the only defense that runs a 3-4. Kerrigan has had at least 9.5 sacks in each of the last three years, and he's coming off of an 11-sack season. As a team, the Redskins notched 38 sacks on the year, which is telling in terms of how important Kerrigan is to their pass rush. He'll be in Washington for a while as well, as he's locked up until 2021 (plus he got signed before the pass rushing boom).
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LB Jordan Hicks, Eagles
Hicks had a reverse sophomore slump in 2016, racking up 85 tackles in his first full season as a starting middle linebacker. Where Fletcher Cox and Malcolm Jenkins command the line and secondary, respectively, Hicks already commands the respect of a veteran at the Mike. He needs to do a bit more in coverage, particularly in Jim Schwartz's demanding defense, but playing the way he did after switching coordinators just one year into his career makes Hicks's season worth taking notice of. 2017 year may be the year that people really start to take notice of Hicks, and Philadelphia fans are ready to have a true household name on their defense.
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LB Sean Lee, Cowboys
When he's healthy, there's an argument to be made that Sean Lee is the best cover linebacker in the NFL. His instincts in getting to the ball are second to none. And despite his injury history, Lee has been relatively healthy the past two seasons after missing all of 2014. Lee was a different style of player in 2016, however. He had a career high 145 tackles and no interceptions, a far cry from his four-interception 2013 season that put him on the map. There's a strong case to be made that Lee's health is the deciding factor in Dallas's defensive success, as he commands so much attention as a weak side linebacker.
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CB Josh Norman, Redskins
One of the biggest signings of the 2016 offseason, Norman left Carolina amid some strife between him and the team. Once he hit the market, he instantly became one of the league's most coveted free agents. Norman came into the NFC East on a mission: to make every single star receiver in the East hate him. With beefs with Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant, "Batman" is creating his own rogues gallery. One concern surrounding Norman was his age when he broke out, but as he learns more it's entirely likely that Norman will settle into his own more as a star corner.
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CB Janoris Jenkins, Giants
Jenkins is being recognized as a leader of the Giants defense and one of their most important offseason additions last year. Often getting matched up against opposing No. 1 receivers, Jenkins locked down his side of the field in 2016, reaching a point where he was hardly being targeted at all. Jenkins had three interceptions last year, alongside a career-high 18 passes defended. He's being hyped as a dark-horse candidate to take the title of best corner in the league heading into 2017, so it will be interesting to see if he's able to live up to his lofty expectations.
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FS Malcolm Jenkins, Eagles
Jenkins is one of the players for whom a change of scenery changes everything. Jenkins joined the Eagles after an okay career with the Saints. He was being converted to a safety from the corner position, and it was a bit of a process for the Saints. He has eight interceptions in the past three years, 261 tackles and four touchdowns. He's entering the second year of a decidedly deserved five-year contract, and he has acclimated to his new surroundings perfectly. Off the field, Jenkins is an outspoken ambassador for players, making him invaluable to both the Eagles and the NFL.
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SS Landon Collins, Giants
Collins became a superstar safety seemingly overnight. In just his second year, Collins picked up 125 tackles from the strong safety spot and had five interceptions (including a pick six). All of this netted Collins a first-team All-Pro nod. His real breakout game came in London, where he had his pick-six on an absolutely incredible return. Collins and his counterpart HaHa Clinton-Dix are both doing 'Bama proud in the NFL, but the better player might be Collins, who is still learning the NFL game and is likely just hitting his stride as an NFL safety rather than a college box player.
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K Dan Bailey, Cowboys
Dan Bailey may well be the best kicker in the league not named Justin Tucker. With a career field goal percentage of nearly 90 percent, he's been a steady leg for Dallas. Perhaps most importantly, the new extra point rules haven't really affected him very much. Bailey went 46 for 46 in extra points last season, showcasing his consistency. He saw a drop in terms of accuracy, going 27 for 32 in terms of field goals, but he did tie his career long with a 56-yarder. Anywhere inside the 40 is just about a gimme, and his consistency is what sets him apart.
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P Brad Wing, Giants
The Aussie out of LSU averaged a career high 40 net yards per punt in 2016. He also had 28 kicks inside the 20 and only eight touchbacks throughout the season. Despite not having the best pure leg strength, Wing is a capable punter, and he specializes in limiting return yards again.
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RET Dwayne Harris, Giants
In a league that is ever so slowly trying to phase out the return game, this position is tricky (especially due to the age of returners in the East). Darren Sproles only had one kick return last season, whereas Harris took the ball out 22 times. He averaged 24 yards per carry, but the NFL's current return rules are clearly not conducive to the modern-day returner (unless their name is Tyreek Hill).
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