From its inception in 2002 until 2014, the NFC South was never won by the same team in consecutive seasons. The Panthers won it in each of 2013, 2014, and 2015, though, and after the Falcons took it in 2016, the Saints have finished on top in each of the past three seasons.
Might 2020 be the first time in a while where the Saints don't emerge as the NFC South champs? The Buccaneers, seemingly an annual sleeper, now have Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski on their side, and they'll be gunning for the top spot as well. If the Falcons can figure out their defense they might be able to get into the mix, but even after spending a bunch of their draft capital on that side of the ball, they still have several issues left to be solved. Meanwhile, the Panthers are in Stage 1 of a rebuilding project that only kind of seems like a rebuilding project -- sometimes.
It's a fascinating division full of star quarterbacks, offensive firepower, and a contender or two. Let's check in on how they did during the draft. Teams are listed by their SportsLine 2020 win projection totals, with the best projected team first.
New Orleans Saints
Team Grade: B- (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 74, LB Zack Baun (Josh Edwards)
Most questionable pick: No. 240, QB Tommy Stevens (Josh Edwards)
2021 mock draft pick: No. 29, LB Dylan Moses (Ryan Wilson)
Biggest fantasy question: Could tight end Adam Trautman have a Year 1 role for the Saints? (Ben Gretch)
SportsLine's 2020 win projection: 10.8
William Hill season win total: 10.5 (Over -110)
William Hill odds to win division: -110
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +1100
There is perhaps no team in the league more all-in for 2020 than the Saints, who mortgaged parts of their future to move up for three different players in the draft. They also handed out a monster contract to Taysom Hill and signed Jameis Winston as their backup quarterback. They had a busy week.
Edwards hit the nail on the head with Zack Baun as the Saints' best pick, as he was a terrific combination of need and value as a potential first-rounder who somehow fell all the way to the middle of the third round. Cesar Ruiz should provide valuable depth on the interior of the offensive line in Year 1 at a minimum, and could perhaps even take over Larry Warford's role at guard if he looks good in preseason. (Assuming the preseason happens.) Tight end Adam Trautman may not have a Year 1 role, but he's a really good athlete and should be in a position to take over for Jared Cook a year or two down the line.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team Grade: B- (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 161, WR Tyler Johnson (Josh Edwards)
Most questionable pick: No. 76, RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn (Josh Edwards)
2021 mock draft pick: No. 23, DB Richard LeCounte (Ryan Wilson)
Biggest fantasy question: Can Ke'Shawn Vaughn lead the backfield in 2020? (Ben Gretch)
SportsLine's 2020 win projection: 8.8
William Hill season win total: 9.5 (Over -140)
William Hill odds to win division: +150
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +1200
We knew the Bucs had to come away from the draft with a starting tackle, and they landed a good one in Tristan Wirfs, who fell to No. 13 despite being considered by some the best tackle in the draft. He should slide right into the starting lineup at right tackle and upgrade the protection for Tom Brady, who also got a couple of new targets in running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn and wideout Tyler Johnson, who is a far better player than his fifth-round draft slot but struggled with injuries in college.
An underrated Bucs defense also got more solid on the back end with the addition of Antoine Winfield Jr., an excellent center-field type who can clean up any messes left by the Bucs' aggressive perimeter style. This is still not a particularly deep team, but the talent at the top is really strong.
Atlanta Falcons
Team Grade: B- (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 78, OL Matt Hennessy (Josh Edwards)
Most questionable pick: No. 134, DB Jaylinn Hawkins (Josh Edwards)
2021 mock draft pick: No. 9, LB Micah Parsons (Ryan Wilson)
Biggest fantasy question: Are the roles in Atlanta as clearly defined as they seem? (Ben Gretch)
SportsLine's 2020 win projection: 6.7
William Hill season win total: 7.5 (Over -120)
William Hill odds to win division: +600
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +6000
The Falcons kicked things off by passing on CeeDee Lamb in favor of filling a need in the secondary, which they did by taking Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell. With the very next pick, the Dallas Cowboys made the exact opposite decision and have been widely praised for it in the days since. There's no question that the Falcons had considerable needs on defense coming into the draft, but as the Cowboys showed, there is merit to the idea of making your offense even better and then addressing the defense later on.
Atlanta did end up using three more picks on defense, landing versatile defensive lineman Marlon Davidson to pair with Grady Jarrett up front, plus linebacker Mykal Walker and safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Does that quartet bring enough to the table to make the Falcons even an average defensive unit? Consider me among those who doubt it. Still, Terrell and Davidson, in particular, have a shot to become quality starter-level players and should help the Falcons on the side of the ball where they desperately need help.
It was also a bit surprising to see Atlanta not use a pick on a running back or wide receiver considering Todd Gurley's injury issues and the fact that all they have behind him is Ito Smith, Brian Hill, and Qadree Ollison, and that it looks like Russell Gage is set to be their No. 3 wideout behind Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.
Carolina Panthers
Team Grade: A (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 64, DB Jeremy Chinn (Josh Edwards)
Most questionable pick: No. 184, DL Bravvion Roy (Josh Edwards)
2021 mock draft pick: No. 5, QB Justin Fields (Ryan Wilson)
Biggest fantasy question: How do the targets split out in Carolina? (Ben Gretch)
SportsLine's 2020 win projection: 6.2
William Hill season win total: 5.5 (Over -110)
William Hill odds to win division: +1400
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +12500
Carolina used all seven of its draft picks to add players on defense, and it was completely necessary. They got things started with athletic interior lineman Derrick Brown, who was effective as both a run-stopper and pass-rusher at Auburn. Their reasoning for taking Brown rather than do-it-all Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but Brown is a good player who should make an impact pushing the pocket from the inside.
Adding Yetur Gross-Matos to complement Brian Burns on the edge was a necessary pick, and adding three defensive backs (Jeremy Chinn, Troy Pride Jr., Kenny Robinson) with the next three picks was perhaps even more necessary. The Panthers came into the draft with a nice group of skill players on offense and a decent offensive line but almost no talent outside of Burns and Shaq Thompson on defense; they left it with a bunch of chances at potential defensive starters up front and on the back end.
