Some folks consider the NFC South to be the best division in the NFL heading into 2017. We’ll be taking a look at each position group for each team in the division and ranking them leading up to the season, hoping to give you a better feel for the teams the Panthers will be facing twice on the schedule, as well as the hometown team itself. Check out our previous editions in which we rank the head coaches, pass catchers, running backs, linebackers, offensive and defensive line units. Up next in the series are the secondaries, which hold some of the young and upcoming stars in the NFL such as Marshon Lattimore, Ricardo Allen, James Bradberry and Keanu Neal. How teams defend the pass is important in any division, but especially so in the pass-heavy NFC South. My rankings below:
4) Saints
Top Player: Marshon Lattimore
Photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
The Saints haven’t had a good defense in what feels like forever, in fact – they haven’t even finished inside of the top 30 in pass defense since 2014, when they ranked 25th. The Saints had the worst pass defense in the NFL last season, therefore placing them dead last not only on this list, but arguably in the entire league. While the Saints have started to address the need by drafting Marshon Lattimore, they still need a lot of help. Starting safety Kenny Vaccaro is a hot and cold player, and their starting corner Delvin Breaux couldn’t catch a break last season with the injury bug; now rumors abound that the Saints are actually shopping the New Orleans native after he turned up with a broken fibula during training camp. It doesn’t help the Saints that they play in a division with the previous two NFL MVPs quarterbacking their teams and a young and upcoming Jameis Winston who is slowly starting to become one of the top ten quarterbacks in the league. If Lattimore can play to the ability that he did in college, and Breaux can heal up in time for the season, the Saints may be just fine. However, their depth at corner is paper thin, so a loss to either cornerback will mean the end of any chance of hope for New Orleans pass defense.
3) Buccaneers
Top Player: Brent Grimes
Photo: Sporting News
Tampa Bay finished 22nd last year against the pass in what was a solid overall defense. Alongside Brent Grimes on the outside the Bucs had rookie Vernon Hargreaves last year, and he ended up giving up over 1,200 total yards throughout the season. In his defense, he was a rookie that had to guard the likes of Julio Jones twice, Kelvin Benjamin twice, and many other superstar wideouts. If the Bucs want to have any chance at a top 10 secondary, Hargreaves must step his game up and play the way he did in college, rather than the way he did in his rookie season. Starting safety Chris Conte had a year to forget last year with Tampa Bay, and while he is still currently on the roster, his days in Tampa Bay as a solid starting safety look to be over after the Bucs signed J.J. Wilcox from Dallas. While Wilcox isn’t by any means a huge upgrade, he still produced solid numbers while playing safety for Dallas, accounting for five interceptions since 2014. The Buccaneers don’t have much solid depth either, having Robert McClain as their best available option if one corner were to go down. The Buccaneers secondary won’t be anything spectacular this season, but if they do play to their best abilities, they can quietly make some noise and shut down opposing offenses.
2) Panthers
Top Player: Kurt Coleman
Kurt Coleman
Last season, the Panthers let go of Josh Norman, and instantly fell from one of the best pass defenses to one of the worst – finishing as the third worst pass defense in the NFL. While drafting James Bradberry and Daryl Worley was a success, they still have yet to replace the Josh Norman numbers. This offseason, the Panthers brought back nickel corner Captain Munnerlyn, both a veteran presence and a traditional inside corner were sorely missed pieces last season. Kurt Coleman is one of the more underrated safeties in the NFL, leading the league in Interceptions by a safety since 2015. But starting alongside him remains an unseen mystery. Former Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams was signed by Carolina this past offseason after spending many years with the Colts, and while his play has been good, he is aging quickly, and the signing reminds me a bit of the Roman Harper signing back in 2014. Luckily with the linebackers and pass rush the Panthers have, Adams doesn’t have to do anything special to help out the team, but if he can, this secondary could become scary again – and quick. The Panthers need James Bradberry and Daryl Worley to make the leap to elite corners, and all accounts from training camp indicate they are ready to do just that. The lack of depth is definitely a concern, with the likes of Teddy Williams, Zack Sanchez, and Colin Jones lurking behind the starters. An injury here could derail the entire defense.
1) Falcons
Top Player: Ricardo Allen
Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher/AP
The Falcons pass defense shockingly finished 28th in the league last year. During their Super Bowl run, Atlanta shut down some great quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers in the NFC while handling Tom Brady for the first three and a half quarters of Super Bowl 51. With two young, good corners in Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford and a pair of solid safeties in Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen the Falcons not only have the talent in the secondary, but the right mind coaching it. People may have forgotten that Dan Quinn was a huge reason for the Seahawks “Legion of Boom” success while he was the defensive coordinator over in Seattle during the emergence of players like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor. This is why it is no surprise to me that the Falcons are slowly becoming an better team in the secondary. Sure, the secondary fell apart in Super Bowl 51 against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but at the end of the day, if the Falcons can continue development with their secondary and stay healthy – a must for every team on this list – they could boast one of the better secondaries in the league.
Previous Results:
Head Coach: New Orleans Saints
Defensive Line: Carolina Panthers
Pass Catchers: Atlanta Falcons
Linebackers: Carolina Panthers
Offensive Line: Atlanta Falcons
Running Backs: Carolina Panthers
Secondary: Atlanta Falcons
Quarterbacks: ??????
