As teams return to the field and training camp is barreling down the tracks, heading towards us like a runaway express train, it’s the perfect chance to take stock of the talent level scattered across the NFL.

Beginning today, with the NFC East, we’ll take a deep dive looking at each division, and the top-five players within them, including, as an added bonus, the one non-quarterback that a rival executive would choose first to build his or her team around.

This will be a weekly series, running through June and training camps kicking off in the middle of July …

Barkley’s 2024 campaign is primary evidence that in the right situation, contrary to popular belief, running backs absolutely matter.

In hindsight, it was foolhardy to think that after obliterating his previous career high of 378 touches on his way to 2,083 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns as the driving force and catalyst to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2024, Barkley would be able to build on or replicate that level of success in 2025.

However, despite an offensive line that had even folks inside the league saying took a significant step back last season, and while playing in an offense that generally lacked any semblance of an identity from week-to-week or snap-to-snap, Barkley still rushed for 1,140 yards while scoring nine total touchdowns.

Only seven more running backs had more explosive runs of 10 yards or more than Barkley’s 28, and his 52 missed tackles ranked ninth at the position. Barkley’s blend of versatility as a pass-catcher, explosiveness as a runner, and generational elusiveness in the open field make him one of the few running backs who can change the outcome of games and the course of a season.

Somehow, Brian Burns is continuing to get better with age, and the scary thing for the rest of the NFC East is that as the 28-year-old continues to ascend, general manager Joe Schoen and the Giants continue to add elite and rising talent around him in the front seven.

Burns isn’t just the elder statesman in a pass rush room that includes former top-five picks Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter, and Arvell Reese, who defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has at his disposal to send flying after opposing quarterbacks from all angles and blitz concepts, but he’s also the Giants’ most disruptive presence up front.

Only Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett had more sacks than Burns’ 16.5 last season, while the former Carolina Panther added 53 total pressures while leading all edge rushers with seven batted down passes last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Given the outsized premium that teams place on, and the impact that edge rushers have on the entire trajectory of a defense, Burns’ presence is one of the Giants’ most tangible reasons for optimism that New York can make a leap in 2026.

Dak Prescott bears the weight of criticism for the Cowboys’ postseason shortcomings, and fair or not, that will always be the case for the quarterback of a franchise that is seemingly underachieving in the biggest moments, but few passers are or have been more prolific than Prescott over the past five seasons.

Prescott finished last season as the NFL’s third-leading passer, finishing with a 99.5 passer rating on his way to a 4,552-yard, 30-touchdown, and 10-interception campaign. With Prescott behind center, the Cowboys’ offense is a big-play factory, even if Dallas continues to field a rotating cast of mediocrity alongside elite receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Finishing last season with 31 big-time throws, second in the league, and an elite 13.3% Pressure-to-Sack Rate, Prescott’s efficient dominance from the pocket is the engine that powers the Cowboys consistently fielding one of the most explosive and potent offenses in the sport.

Still, though, for the Cowboys to ever break through towards making a deep run at the Lombardi and Prescott to command the kind of respect that his consistent production merits, Dallas needs him to be significantly better than the 11 touchdowns to five interceptions in six games against playoff competition last season.

General manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles have become one of the elite drafting and development franchises in the league, which has been a driving force behind Philadelphia reaching two Super Bowls in the past three seasons, including winning the title in 2024.

Adding Quinyon Mitchell in the first round of the 2024 draft wasn’t just Roseman’s latest success; the former Toledo standout has quickly developed into a centerpiece of a rising secondary, as well as one of the stingiest cornerbacks in football.

Mitchell, six feet and 193 pounds, is a long, rangy, physical cornerback with elite ball skills, who last season held opposing quarterbacks to a meager 58.4 passer rating when throwing his direction, while breaking up seven passes, on his way to becoming a First-Team All-Pro in just his second NFL season.

A young and ascending star, at what has become one of the most vital positions on a defense, Mitchell has the ability to completely neutralize a side of the field and looks to only get better from here as he becomes even more familiar with coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme and the matchups he faces on a week-to-week basis.

One of the most daunting matchup nightmares in the league, George Pickens may be the most important player on the Cowboys’ roster not named Dak Prescott.

A field-stretcher in the vertical passing game, with elite hands, and an ability to quickly create separation at the line of scrimmage, Pickens has solidified his status as one of the most prolific players at a position that continues to climb the hierarchy of the most important on an offense.

Last season, finally in a situation with above-competent quarterback play, Pickens obliterated his career-highs across the board, pulling down 93 receptions for 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns, while averaging 15.4 yards per reception, as the league’s third-leading receiver.

Prescott’s confidence in Pickens has quickly exploded, and it’s easy to see why, with the veteran quarterback posting an elite 120.1 passer rating when throwing his way, with the former Steeler averaging 5.1 yards after the catch per reception.

If the Cowboys can find a way to keep Pickens whole and happy on a long-term deal beyond 2026, the pieces could be in place for Dallas to consistently be primed to make a run with the 25-year-old the centerpiece of the passing game.