State of the NFC South: The NFL Draft Edition

Syndication: The Post-Crescent — William Glasheen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Let’s see how teams are looking after the draft

Carolina Panthers

Entering the draft, many believed that the Panthers would go with a defensive lineman at pick eight, and it makes sense why. Carolina’s edge rush group has been bad, and after making massive investments on offense the year before, the defense needed to improve. Trading back was also on the table, which could have messed up the New Orleans Saints’ first-round selection at nine. Instead of those directions, Carolina ended up sticking at eight and selecting Tetairoa McMillan. This was an interesting decision by the Panthers, but their mission has been putting QB Bryce Young in the best situation to succeed, and they were missing a real top WR. Still, they needed to invest heavily in the edge group throughout the draft, and they did this on day 2. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen were great value selections, and many were surprised that both players were still available.

Full Panthers Draft

Round 1 – Tetairoa McMillan (WR)
Round 2 – Nic Scourton (EDGE)
Round 3 – Princely Umanmielen (EDGE)
Round 4 – Trevor Etienne (RB)
Round 4 – Lathan Ransom (S)
Round 5 – Cam Jackson (DT)
Round 6 – Mitchell Evans (TE)
Round 7 – Jimmy Horn Jr (WR)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Like the Panthers, the Buccaneers were believed to go with defense at their first-round selection but instead went with WR Emeka Egbuka. The interesting difference is that receiver was not really a position of need for Tampa Bay, but this could be a real best player available situation that helps the future outlook for that room. Besides this selection, which was a bit questionable, the Buccaneers hit on every single selection. Benjamin Morrison in the second round could be the steal of the draft (if he is healthy), David Walker was one of my favorite draft prospects, and getting Tez Johnson in the 7th round could be fantastic value. Having a draft like this after day 1 makes that WR selection in the first look much better, and overall, the Bucs had the best draft in the NFC South.

Full Bucs Draft

Round 1 – Emeka Egbuka (WR)
Round 2 – Benjamin Morrison (CB)
Round 3 – Jacob Parrish (CB)
Round 4 – David Walker (EDGE)
Round 5 – Elijah Roberts (DT/EDGE)
Round 7 – Tez Johnson (WR)

Atlanta Falcons

Here is oddest draft in the division. The Falcons only interviewed defensive prospects at the NFL Combine. Doing this is a good sign that a team will invest heavily in defense in the draft, and that is exactly what the Falcons did. Picking Jalon Walker at 15 was a home run selection. Walker was supposed to go in the top 10, but he started to fall a bit, and the Falcons were the team to stop the slide. After this pick, it would be hard for Atlanta to mess up the rest of the draft, even with their lower number of picks. Instead, the Falcons traded back in the first round, gave up picks this year and their first-round selection in 2026, and selected James Pearce Jr out of Tennessee.

Let’s start by saying that the thought process here makes some sense. The Falcons desperately need investment at edge rusher, and they needed more than just Jalon Walker in this draft. So, trading up for a guy they like was not out of the question, but there are so many issues with doing it now. Starting with the player, James Pearce is a very talented edge rusher who, at one point, was thought to be a top 5 pick in the draft. He has the tools to be a fantastic player, but character/motivation issues completely overshadow what the player can do on the field. The Falcons probably believe they can fix this issue, which is fine, but giving up a future first-rounder is crazy, especially when you are trading up using your current second-round pick. This was a very deep EDGE group, and if the Falcons just stayed at their original 2nd-round pick, they could have selected a really good edge rusher while keeping their other picks. If Pearce reaches his potential, this trade will be worth it, but looking at it now, it was way too risky for a team still building a roster.

Full Falcons Draft

Round 1 – Jalon Walker (EDGE/OLB)
Round 1 – James Pearce Jr (EDGE/OLB)
Round 3 – Xavier Watts (S)
Round 4 – Billy Bowman Jr. (S)
Round 7 – Jack Nelson (OT)

New Orleans Saints

Last, but not least, the Saints had a decent draft. New Orleans was the one team in the division with a massive need at quarterback, and that was one of the main topics throughout the offseason. Going that direction at pick 9 was just too early, and the Saints made the correct decision to go with their best player available, Kelvin Banks Jr. This was a really smart selection to upgrade this offensive line. Still, after this selection, quarterback remained one to watch for the Saints. In the second round, the Saints finally did it and selected Louisville QB Tyler Shough. This pick made waves on social media and in the news, but this really boils down to the Saints getting Kellen Moore his guy. Drafting a QB will always be the top headline for the team, but New Orleans still made good selections at with the rest of their picks. Also, they made zero trades in this draft, which hasn’t happened since 2012.

Full Saints Draft

Round 1 – Kelvin Banks Jr (OT/G)
Round 2 – Tyler Shough (QB)
Round 3 – Vernon Broughton (DT)
Round 3 – Jonas Sanker (S)
Round 4 – Danny Stutsman (LB)
Round 4 – Quincy Riley (CB)
Round 6 – Devin Neal (RB)
Round 7 – Moliki Matavao (TE)
Round 7 – Fadil Diggs (EDGE/OLB)

NFC South Draft Class Rankings

Buccaneers
Panthers
Saints
Falcons