NFC South: Each Team’s Biggest Need Heading Into The NFL Draft
By Thomas Willoughby
Ah, the NFC South. The league’s greatest mistake. For the third(!) time in the division’s history, and the second(!!) time in less than 5 years, the crown was taken by a team with a losing season. And, hilariously, only the Atlanta Falcons felt embarrassed enough by what they’d served up to make structural changes. Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot are out, Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham are in. Everyone else was apparently good with what they did last year.
Well, not good, per se. The draft is right around the corner and, with all four sides having made a number of additions through free agency, they have an opportunity to address their biggest needs across one weekend. You know how this works.
Atlanta Falcons
The secret real answer to “what is the Falcons biggest draft need?” is a simple “yes”. The top end of the roster is undeniably talented, but when JD Bertrand is being asked to play meaningful snaps for a month, coinciding with a five game losing streak to take you out of divisional title contention before Thanksgiving, it’s clear where the issue lies. The depth is flimsy, and so the Falcons can’t really go wrong whichever direction they choose to travel.
The sad reality is they’re pretty hamstrung in terms of what they can do. They traded their 2026 first rounder for an extra swing in 2025 and landed James Pearce Jr. While his rookie season was wildly successful, legal issues could see him handed a league issued ban at best, and jail time at worst. Pass rush is likely back on the menu earlier than the Falcons would have liked.
I think the lightest room in the building, however, concerns that of the Wide Receivers. Drake London is a superstar, but the Falcons air attack fell off a cliff in the five games he missed. Darnell Mooney disappointed and is out. Kyle Pitts, the team’s defacto WR2, is on a franchise tag, which leaves his status up in the air. I’m sure Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheus are very nice, but if the Falcons are going to be competitive in 2026, they need to ensure they have a young, reliable deputy who can compliment London, both now, and for the long term.
Or at Cornerback, that couldn’t hurt. Maybe even an Offensive Tackle? I’m not picky. Oh how about…
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers shocked the world, and themselves, by taking the 2025 NFC crown, and came pretty close to picking up a post-season win over the Rams in the divisional round. Having flown so close to the summer, how much do they really need to take the next step? Quite a lot. They finished 8-9, for crying out loud. That’s no way to live.
Much like basically everyone in the division, they’ve plenty of deficiencies, and couldn’t be blamed for going in any direction. For me, the team’s biggest question mark remains “what even is Bryce Young?”. 3011 passing yards in 16 starts isn’t very good, for my money…but he showed up when the lights were brightest. The Panthers picked up his 5th year option, so have another season to evaluate whether he’s worth a long term deal. To help with that evaluation, he probably needs another receiver.
Tetairoa McMillan had an excellent 2025, catching 70 passes from 122 targets for 1014 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Panthers’ next nearest receiver was Jalen Coker, with 394 yards from 33 receptions. That’s not good is it! The Panthers also lost running back Rico Dowdle, properly limiting the amount of decent familiarity on that offense. If the Panthers, are going to be successful in 2026, they’re going to need as many quality options for Young to get the ball to.
New Orleans Saints
2025 was a season of discovery and research for the Saints. With a new coaching staff installed, a change at quarterback made, the Saints limped to a 6-11 record, slightly improving on their 5-12 2024. In 2026, they’re still paying for the financial atrocities of the past. Money remains tight, so improving their roster in free agency wasn’t really on the agenda, though they’ve made some strides. Team legend Cam Jordan’s 15 year stint as a Saints has come to an end. His role as a leader will likely be picked up with former Falcons traitor Kaden Elliss returning, but his production will need to be matched.
With that, the Saints should look to target pass rush production through the draft. Chase Young may have had his best every season in 2025, nabbing 10 sacks from 12 games, but his career to date suggests he can’t be relied on to repeat that in 2026. Cam Jordan’s 10.5 sacks in 2025 need to be picked up from somewhere, and they’d be wise to look to replace him with their top 10 pick.
Elsewhere, they wouldn’t be forgiven for looking at building around Tyler Shough. The 26 year old had a solid rookie season, but plenty of questions remain over whether he’s the answer long term for New Orleans. Getting him a decent WR2 would go some way to helping answer some of those questions. The WR with the second most receiving yards for the Saints in 2025 ended up being Rashid Shaheed, who was traded away in November.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay let their grip on the division slip last season, failing to take the crown for the first time since 2020. Off the back of that, one of their all time greats, Mike Evans, has moved west, hoping to prospect rings with the 49ers. Logic would suggest that replacing him is a must, but Emeka Egbuka emerged as a legitimate threat in his rookie season. He and Chris Godwin will make a fine 1-2 punch, and Tez Johnson flashed enough in 2025 to suggest he’s capable of taking steps forward in 2026.
Instead, the Buccaneers would be wise to focus their attention on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay finished 27th in passing yards allowed in 2025, but an impressive 5th in rushing yards allowed. So, where are we going, Bucs fans? Pass rush, or Corner Back?
Tampa Bay managed a pretty decent 13 interceptions in 2025, but a middling 37 sacks. No, sacks aren’t the be all, but they sure help, and clearly Tampa needs to improve there. J.T. Olson selected Cashius Howell in the Buccaneers edition of the Perfect Picks series, and you can see why. With their sack leader, YaYa Diaby (7 sacks), heading into the final year on his rookie deal, now’s the time to 1) get him some help rushing the QB, and 2) finding someone capable of touching 10 sacks in a season.
Featured Image Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Thomas Willoughby
NFL ANALYST
THOMAS IS A WRITER, AND REGULAR GUEST ON THE TOUCHDOWN REVIEW SHOW PODCAST, FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN FIND HIM @WILLO290592 ON TWITTER