The draft is over, so it's time for the NFL drought between the draft and the Preseason. From here on out, there will be speculation, the occasional injury, and articles like this. Rookies will start to make their way onto the radar, there will certainly be QB competitions, and the next three months are going to crawl for football junkies like me.

So! Here is an all-too-early, post-draft set of predictions for each team in the NFC East, as well as a broad, division-wide set of predictions. Giants fans beware, I never think your franchise is headed in the right direction.

The NFC East In General

Division Champions: Washington

Biggest Difference in the Win/Loss Column: Dallas Cowboys

"The Guy" that will change the division: Ezekiel Elliot

Best QB: Kirk Cousins

Best RB: Ezekiel Elliot (a.k.a. Elliot and the Cowboys offensive line)

Best WR: Dez Bryant, as a comeback season

Best Defense: Philadelphia Eagles, thanks to Jim Schwartz

Team(s) that will reach the playoffs: Washington, Dallas Cowboys

Worst Record: New York Giants

Washington

Predicted Record: 11-5

I think that Washington is really headed in the right direction. They seem to be following the formula that the Broncos and Seahawks have been following in the past few seasons; a solid defense with a good-enough quarterback. I think Kirk Cousins is better than Peyton Manning was last year for the Broncos (key words, before I catch flak for that, Peyton Manning LAST YEAR). With the addition of Josh Doctson, who I have heralded as the best wide-receiver in the draft this year, on top of Pierre Garçon, DeSean Jackson, and Jordan Reed, Washington's passing attack this year will be dangerous. Losing Alfred Morris may slow their running game, which will lead to a much heavier reliance on Cousins, and I think the fans and the franchise are ready to put their confidence in Cousins. I can easily see him having a 4,000 yard season, and becoming essentially the face of the franchise. My guess is that Washington starts winning some games against good teams (unlike last season), and even wins a playoff game, likely in the Wild Card round (maybe against the Cowboys?). However, I do not think they will reach the Super Bowl because of a lack of a running game to balance the offense.

Dallas Cowboys

Predicted Record: 9-7

This is going to hurt. I think that the Cowboys are going to be kind of scary this year. With a healthy Romo and Dez Bryant, their offense will start kicking again. I'm a believer that Romo is in the decline of his career, but he still has the ability to make plays, and I think Dez will be hungry. With a running back that I believe will be elite in Ezekiel Elliot (and a likely candidate for Rookie of the Year), I see the Cowboys having a score-happy season. Elliot will not have to struggle much as a rookie, thanks to a balance of the Cowboys offense, and their offensive line. In fact, I can easily see Elliot rushing for over 1,000 yards this year. Their flaw, however, will be their defense. The Cowboys struggled to cause turnovers last year, and did not have a consistent pass-rush. Match that with a secondary who had its best play from rookie safety Byron Jones, and you find a defense that needs players like DeMarcus Lawrence to step up this year, and guys like Randy Gregory to get on the field, and not be on the bench, suspended. Due to poor defensive play, and Jerry Jones' willingness to compromise the defense as a priority in the draft in order to make "win now" sexy picks like Ezekiel Elliot at number 4 (when Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris are on the roster), the Cowboys might make the playoffs, but won't make it far. They will score plenty of points in the season, and may have one of the best offenses in the league if Dez and Romo stay healthy, but they will have just as many points scored on them, if not more.

Philadelphia Eagles

Predicted Record: 6-10

Sam Bradford will not be on the roster to start the season, that's my first prediction. Chase Daniel will start for the Eagles, and he will do an OK job, but not the kind of job that will get the Eagles anywhere. The birds aren't contenders this year, but are in a sort of "gap year," in which rookie QB Carson Wentz will be learning the offense and getting coached up by Doug Pederson and his surrounding QB specialists that were hired in the offseason. The Eagles will have a much better running game than last season, with a much improved offensive line. The addition of Brandon Brooks will be, in my opinion, the most effective addition from the offseason, and the left guard spot will be selected from intense competition, as Allen Barbre, third-round pick Isaac Seumalo, and Stefen Wisniewski battle it out (which sounds a lot better than last season's battle between Barbre, Dennis Kelly, Andrew Gardner, etc.). Ryan Mathews will flash elite ability every now and then, but at the usual risk of his health. Jordan Matthews will not drop nearly as many balls, this year, I predict (and pray). The defense will show the most promise this season since the days of Jim Johnson, as Jim Schwartz becomes the saving grace of the team at Defensive Coordinator. The Eagles added loads of depth to the secondary, offensive line, and the wide receiver groups, which will lead to very interesting camp battles and a stronger base for the team to work with. However, an incompleteness, and lack of offensive might will make winning difficult for the Eagles, but with hope for the future.

New York Giants

Predicted Record: 6-10

This prediction for the record may be a little harsh, but I don't think many of the big-name additions that the Giants got in free agency will pan out. Oliver Vernon and Janoris Jenkins seem like the classic overpaid corner and defensive end that comes around every season but doesn't live up to the contract (cough, Byron Maxwell). Although in my Draft Review last week I graded Eli Apple poorly as their selection in the draft, I am a believer in signing and drafting a player for each position of need in the offseason to solidify parts of the team, so good on you, Giants. I also liked the draft selection of WR Sterling Shepard to line up alongside OBJ and benefit from any coverages that focused on Beckham. Speaking of OBJ, I cannot wait to see him and Josh Norman fight it out twice a season now. But, back on the subject; the Giants shoveled out a lot of money in free agency on big name players, which seems to never work out these days. They are consistently an injury-plagued team, and they have a flimsy defense. There may be a stronger pass rush this season with Oliver on the team, but they still seem a little short-handed (Jason Pierre-Paul joke). I guess my biggest issue with believing in the Giants is their lack of season-to-season consistency. The Giants have won two Super Bowls in the last ten years, but do not show the level of toughness and consistency that teams like the Patriots, Packers, Seahawks, and Broncos show on a season-to-season basis. When my Eagles play the Giants, I tend to think, "This is an easy win," even though the Giants are the most recent team in the NFC East to win a Super Bowl. This should not be the case of a team that kept the same QB since their Super Bowl victory. I just continuously find the Giants to be mediocre, with occasional spikes of high-level play that doesn't last. This doesn't mean that they can't win as many games as the Eagles, though.

So, my Eagles won't be contenders, the Giants will suck again, and Washington and the Cowboys will duke it out, rivalry-style. This will definitely be a fun season to watch for the NFC East.