This week, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be selecting starting lineups consisting of the best players from each division. In this article, the NFC South defense is the focus. Since the 4-3 is the division’s dominant defensive scheme, that scheme will be implemented in this article.
2016 NFC South All-Division Team: The Defense and Special Teams
Defensive End: Cameron Jordan, Saints
Not much went right for New Orleans defensively in 2015, but Cameron Jordan remained a constant. Drafted out the University of California in 2011, Jordan has enjoyed a solid career thus far. His career-high 12.5 sacks in 2013 earned his first Pro Bowl selection and helped propel a top-five Saints defense. After a down 2014 campaign, the pass rusher responded with a ten-takedown outing to gain his second Pro Bowl honor. Analytics site Pro Football Focus gave Jordan an overall grade of 90.1, good for sixth at his position. The best edge rusher in the division, he still has room to grow.
Defensive Tackle: Kawann Short, Panthers
Of the ten Carolina Panthers selected to the Pro Bowl, Kawann Short was one of five who made it for the first time. Falling out of the first round in the 2013 draft, Short lived up to his original draft status in year three. Combining for 69 tackles and five sacks in his first two seasons, he tallied 55 tackles and 11 takedowns in 2015, tied for the league’s most for defensive tackles. Along with Jordan, Short was also ranked as an elite lineman with his 90.7 grade. He may not be at the value level as Luke Kuechly, but he is a tone-setter in the trenches.
Defensive Tackle: Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers
Atlanta’s Derrick Shelby made a strong case for this second slot with his 82.7 PFF grade, but Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy gets the vote. After recording 39 tackles and four sacks in his first two seasons, McCoy has eclipsed 30 tackles and five sacks every year since 2012. His 17 takedowns as a tackle since 2014 are very impressive. McCoy, alongside Ndamukong Suh and Geno Atkins, make up the “Big Three” from the 2010 defensive tackle draft class. Presumably a “poor man’s” Warren Sapp, he has lived up to his number three selection.
Defensive End: Robert Ayers, Buccaneers
Robert Ayers is the second Buccaneer on this NFC front and with good reason. With steady tenures for the Denver Broncos and New York Giants, Ayers reached career highs in tackles (41), sacks (9.5) and forced fumbles (2). Positing a grade of 88.5, PFF had the veteran as the eighth-best at his position. On underperforming defensive units, the edge-rushing team of Ayers and Cameron Jordan could cause fits for offensive tackles.
Outside Linebacker: Lavonte David, Buccaneers
Behind Luke Kuechly, Lavonte David is the division’s second-best linebacker. Like his 2012 draft-mate, David is a tackling machine who makes stops from sideline to sideline. The 26-year-old has complied at least 139 tackles every year. Recording a career-best 147 stops in 2015, David is one is the league’s most productive stat-sheet suffers.
Middle Linebacker: Luke Kuechly, Panthers
To say Luke Kuechly is an NFL superstar is an understatement. He is the best defender in the NFC and second only to Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt as the top defensive player in the league. A Boston College standout, he immediately made his mark with 164 tackles in his rookie campaign. His 156 stops, two sacks and four interceptions in 2013 earned him Defensive Player of the Year honors. Despite a career-low 118 tackles in 2015, he accomplished his second four-pick season. An every down, any situation player, Kuechly provides the ideal combination of instinct, sideline-to-sideline playmaking and coverage ability. Thanks to the 96.0 and 99.5 rush defense coverage grades, respectively, his overall rating of 99.1 essentially makes him the perfect player.
Outside Linebacker: Thomas Davis, Panthers
Nobody serves as a better running mate for Kuechly than Thomas Davis. In a pivotal 2013 divisional contest against the Saints, Davis and Kuechly combined for 38 tackles (Kuechly 24, Davis 14) in a close victory. Since then, Thomas has consistently been the yin to Kuechly’s yang. Injury prone at points during his career, he’s become a reliable player on Carolina’s front seven. Thomas has made 100-plus tackles four straight years after meeting the century mark only once in his first six seasons. Along with his 105 stops, he set career highs in sacks (5.5) and interceptions (4) in 2015 to obtain his first Pro Bowl selection. Playing through a broken arm in Super Bowl 50, the University of Georgia alum displayed not only his endurance, but also his passion and commitment to team excellence. The 33-year-old may play the best “Robin” role in football.
Cornerback: Delvin Breaux, Saints
Even though Delvin Breaux wasn’t invited to Hawaii like his divisional contemporary, Desmond Trufant, his 2015 contributions shouldn’t go unrecognized. Once a highly-recruited LSU signee, Breaux’s fractured vertebrae in a high school game jeopardized his playing career. Never playing a down for the Tigers, he recovered before spending time in both the AFL and CFL. The 25-year-old rookie finally got his NFL opportunity and flashed his potential. Despite only having 45 tackles and three interceptions, he was dubbed a top-tier corner according to Pro Football Focus. His coming-out party was a Thursday night home game against the Falcons when he completely held Julio Jones in check (two occasions of which Breaux deflected the pass). By season’s send, Breaux was PFF’s eighth-ranked corner (86.0). His resilience earned him the Ed Block Courage Award, a distinction given to a player, by their teammates, as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage. On a Saints defense that traditionally falters, every ounce of Breaux’s ability is needed.
Free Safety: Kurt Coleman, Panthers
Kurt Coleman should’ve been the 11th Panther selected to this season’s Pro Bowl. Used sparingly during his time with Philadelphia and Kansas City, Coleman started 15 games for the NFC Champion Panthers. As a full-time participant, he enjoyed a career season with 90 tackles, seven interceptions (one for a touchdown), nine passes defensed and a sack. His efforts earned him an 82.7 overall grade from PFF. Josh Norman garnered most of the attention in Carolina’s secondary–and rightfully so–but Coleman was just as essential.
Strong Safety: Kenny Vaccaro, Saints
Drafted out of the University of Texas in 2013, Kenny Vaccaro played exceptionally well as a rookie with his 79 tackles and one interception. After his sophomore slump in 2014, the 25-year-old set personal marks in stops (104) and sacks (3). With his 87.5 run defense grade, he has an aptitude for making plays near the line of scrimmage. With safety arguably being the NFC South’s shallowest position, the pairing of him and Kurt Coleman can easily step in and produce.
Cornerback: Desmond Trufant, Falcons
He’s clearly not Deion Sanders, but Atlanta’s Desmond Trufant is a very talented young player. Finishing 2015 with 42 tackles, one pick and a sack, Pro Football Focus gave Trufant an overall grade of 83.7. His rating is thanks in large part to his versatility in run support (86.3) and pass rushing (71.5). His all-purpose repertoire delivered him the first Pro Bowl berth of his career. With Josh Norman’s departure to the Washington Redskins, Trufant and Delvin Breaux stand alone as the division’s premier perimeter defenders.
Kicker: Graham Gano, Panthers
Graham Gano kicked the ball marvelously for the Panthers in 2015. Converting 56/59 extra-point tries, the 29-year-old made 15/16 field goals between 0-39 yards and 13/16 from 40-49 yards. His 146 points were second in the league behind New England Patriots Pro Bowler, Stephen Gostkowski.
Punter: Matt Bosher, Falcons
Posting a net punting average of 40.4, Matt Bosher led the division in overall punting average (47.2). The 28-year-old also placed first in the South with 24 punts falling inside the 20-yard line.
Returner: Bobby Rainey, Buccaneers
In a landslide, Tampa Bay’s Bobby Rainey completes the All-Division team after leading the division with 469 kick return yards. The 28-year-old return ace from Western Kentucky also finished number one in punt return yardage (288).
Be sure and check out our NFC South All-Division team for the offense.
