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2023 NFC South NFL Draft Grades

2023 NFC South NFL Draft Grades - did the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Draft?
NFC South Draft Grades

The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, as each team in the NFC South took place in the most important part of the team-building process. Every single team in the NFC South is in the midst of some type of rebuild, so these draft grades reflect their ability to not only compete in 2023, but to build a consistent competitor.

2023 NFL Draft Grades: NFC South

Carolina Panthers

Players Added: Bryce Young, Jonathan Mingo, DJ Johnson, Chandler Zavala, Jammie Robinson

While every player selected matters to some extent, the Panthers portion of the NFC South draft grade is going to be primarily determined by Bryce Young. For better or worse, the Alabama product is going to define the fate of the franchise for at least the next few seasons. While the quarterback evaluation process is anything but flawless, all signs point toward Carolina making the right choice. Bryce Young is the best quarterback in this class, and he should be able to start from Day 1 and provide some much-needed hope to this woebegone franchise.

Step 1 in any rebuild is finding a franchise quarterback, and Step 2 is surrounding said quarterback with the tools required to succeed. Jonathan Mingo isn’t my favorite wide receiver prospect, but even I cannot deny that the Ole Miss product has a very high ceiling. If he works out, then the Panthers should have a great young duo for the next decade. DJ Johnson, meanwhile, is another young pass rusher that should pair well with Brian Burns and make a life a living nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

Carolina continued to find help for Bryce Young with Chandler Zavala. The NC State product is considerably better as a pass blocker, which is good news when you have a rookie quarterback that you want to keep healthy and comfortable. Jammie Robinson has to prove that he can handle the size of the NFL, but assuming his minor frame can hold up, he’ll be an absolute steal and should compete to start.

Carolina Panthers NFL Draft Grade: B

Atlanta Falcons

Players Added: Bijan Robinson, Matthew Bergeron, Zach Harrison, Clark Phillips, DeMarcco Hellams, Jovaughn Gwyn

Bijan Robinson is a phenomenal player, that much is not up for debate. However, when making these NFC South Draft Grades, I also accounted for opportunity cost and missed potential. A top-10 pick is an insanely valuable investment, and it doesn’t make sense for the Falcons to use such a premium resource on one of the most replaceable positions in football – especially when the Falcons have more pressing needs all over the roster. Tyler Allgeier played well last year, and Atlanta’s backfield would have been fine with him and a Day 2 pick.

Matthew Bergeron is going to be a good NFL player, but it’s still anyone’s guess as to what position he’ll play. While the Syracuse product will probably start off at tackle, he is a little undersized for the position and doesn’t have the quickest feet. There could be some growing pains, and maybe he’ll have to switch to guard, but he will become a reliable starter at some point. Zach Harrison, meanwhile, is physically gifted but fundamentally raw as a rusher. He’ll probably start off as a situational player but could develop into a starter with the right coaching. Clark Phillips is a physical cornerback ideally suited for press man coverage. While he may draw some penalties, the positives associated with a good press corner far outweigh the negatives.

DeMarcco Hellams and Jovaughn Gwyn are the types of players you’d expect to find at the very end of the seventh round. Hellams plays a physical style of safety that should make him a welcome addition to the special teams unit, but he’s a little too slow and stiff to be a regular defender. Jovaughn Gwyn has sound technique, but he might be too small to play in the NFL.

Atlanta Falcons NFL Draft Grade: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Players Added: Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, YaYa Diaby, SirVocea Dennis, Payne Durham, Josh Hayes, Trey Palmer, Jose Ramirez

Much like the Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t appear to have taken positional importance into account with their first-round pick. Calijah Kancey is a good defensive tackle, but he is on the smaller side and probably wasn’t worth a top-20 pick. This questionable selection is further compounded by the fact that this team is staring down a massive rebuild and needs help at more important positions. If Kancey was clearly better than everyone else on the board, you could make a case for this selection, but he really wasn’t.

Cody Mauch is just Ryan Jensen all over again, even down to the looks. Just like with Jensen, Buccaneers fans will love him for his on-field play and off-field persona. YaYa Diaby, meanwhile, is better against the run than the pass, which isn’t too common in today’s pass-happy NFL. However, players like him are still imporant, and his muscular frame should be able to hold the edge and free up space for Lavonte David and Devin White to make plays.

SirVocea Dennis will probably start out on special teams, but he has the football IQ and instincts to eventually develop into a depth player. He’s a bit of a reach but this late in the draft it’s a pick you can live with. Payne Durham is to Cameron Brate as Cody Mauch is to Ryan Jensen, and Tampa Bay desperately needs more tight ends. Josh Hayes, meanwhile, is another defensive back that’s better off the closer he is to the line of scrimmage, but he has decent ball skills.

Trey Palmer is incredibly raw but has some physical tools that make him an interesting developmental prospect. With Tampa Bay’s star-studded receiver room, the team can afford to bring him along slowly. Jose Ramirez, meanwhile, is too small to start and will probably be utilized on special teams and situationally as a pass rusher.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Draft Grade: B-

New Orleans Saints

Players Added: Bryan Bresee, Isaiah Foskey, Kendre Miller, Nick Saldiveri, Jake Haener, Jordan Howden, A.T. Perry

Bryan Bresee is worthy of a late first-round pick, and in isolation, this was a pretty solid selection. The Saints desperately need some talent on the defensive line, and the Clemson product should be able to get after the quarterback while providing some much-needed support against the run. The only question here is why the Saints chose Bresee over Nolan Smith. Perhaps they are worried about Smith’s lackluster build, as that’s the only reason they could believe the defensive tackle was better than the Georgia product.

The Saints continued to rebuild their defensive line on Day 2, adding Isaiah Foskey with the 40th-overall selection. In what’s becoming something of a pattern in New Orleans, Foskey is a little raw but insanely athletic and could turn into a Pro Bowl-caliber player if he irons out the fundamental shortcomings in his game. Running back Kendre Miller will likely have the chance to play following Alvin Kamara’s inevitable suspension, and while he is more like Mark Ingram than Kamara, he’s good enough to stay on the field on all three downs.

Nick Saldiveri is no superstar, but he’s great in space and should be able to help fix one of the worst interior offensive lines in football. Jake Haener, meanwhile, isn’t nearly as good as he thinks he is, but if he comes to terms with his physical limitations, he could become a reliable journeyman backup and bridge quarterback.

Safety Jordan Howden has one of the best football IQ’s in this class, but will it be enough to overcome his substantial physical limitations? The Saints wrapped up their with A.T. Perry, an intriguing speedster that should provide a much-needed vertical element to this offense. If he adds some muscle, he could stick around for a while.

New Orleans Saints NFL Draft Grade: B+

 

David Latham, Managing Editor

David Latham, Managing Editor

David joined LWOS as an NFL writer in 2017. A passionate fan of Boston sports, Latham covers the Patriots, fantasy football, and breaking news across the league.

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