The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.

The release of the 2026 NFL schedule is just around the corner, and it's time to start taking a closer look at who the Washington Commanders will be facing this upcoming season.

The Commanders will play all four teams in the NFC West and AFC South, including two home matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, who have a first-round bye in this year's playoffs. The Commanders will host the Houston Texans, another playoff team, for the first time since the 2018 season in just the seventh matchup between the two squads in franchise history.

However, today we're going to focus on the NFC East as we preview some of the key teams on Washington's schedule. The Commanders weren't the only squad in the East who made improvements this offseason, and there's reason to believe the division will be as competitive as it's ever been.

Here's a look at what the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants have done so far.

New York Giants

• Key additions in free agency
  • TE Isaiah Likely
  • LB Tremaine Edmunds
  • WR Darnell Mooney
  • WR Calvin Austin III
  • FB Patrick Ricard
  • CB Greg Newsome II
• 2026 Draft class
  • LB Arvell Reese
  • OL Francis Mauigoa
  • CB Colton Hood
  • WR Malachi Fields
  • DT Bobby Jamison-Travis
  • OL J.C. Davis
  • LB Jack Kelly

Analysis: There's an argument to be made that the Giants are the most improved team in the division -- at least on paper. Like the Commanders, the Giants set out in John Harbaugh's first offseason as their head coach to build their team surrounding Jaxon Dart, and it looks like they achieved that goal. While the Commanders chose to upgrade their defense, the Giants added experienced offensive players like Likely -- largely viewed as one of the best tight ends on the market -- as well as wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Austin.

In a way, the Giants are betting on upside from both Likely and Austin, neither of whom have recorded more than 600 receiving yards in a season. There's reason to believe that both could blossom with more opportunities, and it's possible the Giants can tap into their potential while also keeping Malik Nabers as the primary target. On defense, Edmunds could end up being the general of a defense that has elite talent up front, and Newsome could bring experience to a secondary that certainly needs it.

Speaking of that defensive front, it got even more potent with Reese adding his services as a pass rusher to the front seven. The Giants' trade of Dexter Lawrence for a first-round pick allowed them to address arguably their biggest need and draft Mauigoa, who is expected to be a Day 1 starter. Fields will supply Dart with another big target downfield, while Hood could be thrown into the rotation early. He didn't allow a touchdown while working as the primary defender on 72 pass attempts -- tied for second last year -- so he has the skill set to contribute early.

Philadelphia Eagles

• Key additions in free agency
  • CB Riq Woolen
  • WR Hollywood Brown
  • TE Grant Calcaterra
  • CB Jonathan Jones
  • RB Dameon Pierce
  • WR Elijah Moore
  • TE Johnny Mundt
• 2026 Draft class
  • WR Makai Lemon
  • TE Eli Stowers
  • T Markel Bell
  • QB Cole Payton
  • G Micah Morris
  • S Cole Wisniewski
  • DT Uar Bernard
  • DE Keyshawn James-Newby

Analysis: The Eagles remain the team to beat in the division, and while there are some reports swirling around about what they may or may not do with A.J. Brown, it doesn't seem like their offense is going to lose any of its potency.

Philadelphia was one of the slowest teams to act in free agency with Woolen being their first real addition. Woolen hasn't performed to the level he did as a rookie, but he improved last season and is physically imposing as a perimeter cornerback. The rest of their class consists of depth pieces like Brown, who should bring some speed despite being 29 by the start of the season, and Moore at wide receiver. Pierce could be an interesting change of pace behind Saquon Barkley, while Mundt gives them a blocking tight end that they didn't have on their roster.

The Eagles' draft class is far more interesting. It starts with Lemon -- the best slot receiver in the class who was praised in the draft process for his reliable hands and effort on the field. Stowers was not considered the better overall prospect compared to first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq, but he was viewed as the better route runner and could be the heir to Dallas Goedert in the near future.

Bernard is the biggest lottery ticket of the bunch thanks to his unique size (6-foot-5, 306 pounds) and rare testing metrics. His 4.63 40-yard dash time, 39-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad jump convinced the Eagles to take him despite him never playing organized football. He's going to be a long-term project, but if he develops, he could be a force on the Eagles' defensive front.

Dallas Cowboys

• Key additions in free agency
  • S Jalen Thomson
  • DE Sam Williams
  • CB Cobie Durant
  • DT Otito Ogbonnia
  • S P.J. Locke
  • QB Sam Howell
  • OL Matt Hennessy
  • CB Derion Kendrick
  • DT Jonathan Bullard
• 2026 Draft class
  • S Caleb Downs
  • EDGE Malachi Lawrence
  • LB Jaishawn Braham
  • T Drew Shelton
  • CB Devin Moore
  • EDGE LT Overton
  • WR Anthony Smith

Analysis: The Cowboys clearly were not happy with their defense, and they set out with the goal of giving new coordinator Christian Parker more tools to work with.

Most of Dallas' new faces will be on that side of the ball, as 12 of their additions from free agency and the draft were defensive players. Thompson, who spent his entire career in Arizona before signing with Dallas, is expected to be a leader in a deep secondary room that already has Malik Hooker and DaRon Bland. They decided to bring back Williams, who was still recovering from his torn ACL last season but did show promise prior to the injury with 8.5 sacks. Ogbonnia is not a pass rusher but does help clog running lanes with his 6-foot-4, 320-pound frame.

Downs is the Cowboys' crown jewel of the draft after they traded up one spot to get him. It's unclear at this point where Downs will fit into their plans for the secondary, but his intelligence and versatility all but ensures that he will find his way onto the field as a rookie. Lawrence, the Cowboys' second pick of Day 1, started to rise late in the draft process and led UCF with 11 tackles for loss. The Cowboys have needed a strong pass rusher since they traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, and while Lawrence isn't at Parsons' level, his motor, hand skills and explosion should help boost a defense that only produced 35 sacks in 2025.