Quick reactions: NFC South draft

We’re getting close to the end of our series of draft analysis, with only two divisions to go now. The NFC South is a big mess right now, and that’s even with Tom Brady returning. With the Saints, the Falcons and the Panthers still looking for long-term answers in the quarterback positions, the Buccaneers are clear favorites to win the division again in what might be Brady’s final year.

The draft had three NFC South teams picking inside the top 11 – the Saints had to trade up, of course, but both Falcons and Panthers were within the top 8, a reflection of how bad they were during the 2021 season.

Check out our draft analysis from the NFC South:

NFC South draft analysis:

Atlanta Falcons: I absolutely don’t like the pick of Drake London there, but it’s understandable considering the Falcons’ need for a wide receiver. They nailed day 2 when they got underrated pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie in the early second round; getting Desmond Ridder as an insurance policy in the third was fantastic value. For a team with so many needs, it was a positive weekend.

Carolina Panthers: In terms of talent, the Panthers did a nice job when they took Ikem Ekwonu. In terms of risk, the Panthers did a nice job when they took Matt Corral. But this isn’t a team that made the most of the opportunities to add talent; we were hoping for a trade down. At least they took a hell of a player there.

New Orleans Saints: I think this is one of the worst drafts in the league and they even picked twice out of the top 20. The price to move up and get Chris Olave was absurdly high if you consider the earlier trade with the Philadelphia Eagles; Trevor Penning is a bad player who they took in #19. It’s just hard to see how the Saints got closer to the Buccaneers with the picks they made – Olave is good but he’s not fixing the whole offense. The picks would’ve been better.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: There was a clear focus on reinforcing the trenches with the early picks and depth in the late rounds. This is a team made to win now and, while it wasn’t a flashy class, they don’t really need instant starters as well, so they get a pass.