One Bold Draft Move for Every NFC South Team
Presenting a scenario for each team in the NFC South that would shake up the draft.
Around this time, when the combine and pro days are done and we wait in anticipation of the NFL Draft, there gets to be something of a consensus on how the draft will unfold, especially at the top.
The top three quarterbacks will go with the top three picks, Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Cardinals, and the Vikings trading up to the fifth pick for J.J. McCarthy is a trend I’ve seen in mock drafts from ESPN to the darkest corners of the internet. Nothing ever goes that smoothly, though, and there will surely be something to shake up draft eventually.
I am going through each division and naming one bold move each team could make either during or around the draft. For some, this means aggressively adding a player at a position of need; others would be bold by changing their usual strategy.
Let’s head to the NFC South, one of the weakest divisions over the past few years but now with one team hoping they made the addition that pushes them over the top after years of putting draft resources toward the offense.
Atlanta Falcons
Draft two defensive players in the first round
The Falcons own the eighth overall pick and have been heavily linked to pass rusher Dallas Turner from Alabama, the guy considered the top defensive player in the draft by many. The need and value fit perfectly, so it’s easy to see why this connection has been made.
Atlanta could also use an upgrade at their second cornerback spot, where 2023 fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III currently tops the depth chart opposite A.J. Terrell. Cornerbacks are projected to be popular picks in the late first round into the second, so the team could jump the rush by moving back into the end of the first round.
Along with their second-round pick No. 43, the Falcons have two third-round picks at 74 and 79. The Jimmy Johnson draft value chart says they could package one of the third rounders with 43 to move into the mid- to late-20s. At that spot, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean could be available along with a few other first-round hopefuls, like Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry and Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
By filling two defensive holes in the first round, Atlanta would have one of the most complete rosters in football, particularly in their own division. This would echo 2019 when the Falcons doubled up on offensive linemen, first grabbing Chris Lindstrom at 14 before trading back into the first round for Kaleb McGary at 31.
Carolina Panthers
Resist the urge to make panic moves
This is easier said than done: On top of just watching their rookie quarterback drown in a sea of underwhelming talent in 2023, their consolation prize of the top pick was owed to Chicago from last year’s move up for Bryce Young. The Bears will take a better QB prospect this year.
After trading edge rusher Brian Burns to the Giants, Carolina’s top picks are No. 33 and 39 in the second round and the first pick of the third round, No. 65. There’s a chance to add a lot of talent with those three picks, but it’s so much less exciting than having any first-round pick, let alone the top selection.
They will surely be tempted to trade up into the latter part of the first round, but this team has too many holes to waste draft picks. The Panthers made measured moves early in the offseason to upgrade the talent floor, signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to lucrative contracts before trading for Pittsburgh receiver Diontae Johnson.
Rather than continuing to steal from the future to upgrade the current team, Carolina would be best served by letting the draft come to them, taking the best player available at each slot and trading down when value presents itself.
There are plenty of bold moves Carolina could make, but the boldest might be accepting the slow build for the betterment of the future.
New Orleans Saints
Take the first left tackle of the draft
Drafting Trevor Penning in the first round in 2022 hasn’t worked out, as he has been benched in both seasons of his career. Finding a role this year will be imperative or Penning may be searching for a job next season.
That might mean sliding inside to guard, but Penning could also try to man the right side if veteran Ryan Ramczyk’s injury issues force him to miss more time or retire. Both of those options mean the team would be looking for a new left tackle, which is probably in the best interest of the franchise.
The Saints have been tied to Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu at No. 14, but he might not make it that far if he is, in fact, a franchise-level left tackle prospect. Trading up for Fashanu is an option, but Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is seen on even another level, presenting the best offensive line option in the draft.
Tennessee at seventh overall has been heavily linked to Alt, so New Orleans would either have to offer enough to talk them into moving back to No. 14 or jump ahead of the Titans, maybe to the Giants’ pick at six.
New York will surely want to grab a star receiver to fill their biggest hole, but the Saints have been known to give up a lot of future value, so gaining a first rounder in 2025 along with more might be enough to entice the Giants to slide down eight picks.
The Saints aren’t going to pull back, rebuild, or go half speed. They are as aggressive as any team in the league, and trading up to hopefully solidify one of the most important parts of the roster would follow their history in the draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Get into the top 20 for the draft’s top center
The Johnson draft chart says Tampa’s second-round pick (No. 57) could get them as high as the 15th pick in a trade up from their spot at 26. They own two third rounders (89 and 92), either of which could get them close to the 20th selection.
Long-time center Ryan Jenson retired this offseason after missing most of 2023 with injury. ESPN measured the Bucs 22nd in pass block win rate and 32nd in run block win rate last year, meaning there’s plenty of room for improvement.
The tackle spots are set, and right guard Cody Mauch (a rookie last year) will surely have a starting role, leaving two openings on the team’s interior offensive line. Duke’s Graham Barton, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier are seen as the top center prospects and generally projected as high as Pittsburgh with the 20th pick.
The Rams sit at No. 19 and have shown they value mid- and late-round picks, so a trade of their third-round pick at 89 and late sixth-round pick at 220 plus a pick swap in LA’s favor could get Tampa Bay ahead of the Steelers, Dolphins and Cowboys, all of whom have holes to fill at center.
It might be considered an over-draft by some, but Tampa would fill a huge void and one of their biggest needs with a player they would surely hope could be the center of the future for the next decade or more.
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