During the month of August, the Last Word on Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. This article contains a breakdown of each NFC South defense position group. The breakdown will contain “the best” at each unit followed by “the rest” in descending order.
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2023 NFC South Defense Breakdown by Position
Defensive Line
The Best: Atlanta Falcons
The Rest: New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Falcons made a concerted effort to improve their defensive line this offseason. The team brought in veterans Calais Campbell and David Onyemata to join Grady Jarrett on the interior. Campbell and Onyemata come with significant experience and should boost a line that seriously lacked juice in 2022. Jarett is still a premier talent at defensive tackle, and the new additions should further elevate his game.
The Saints enter the season undergoing a massive overhaul on the interior defensive line. Out are Shy Tuttle and the aforementioned Onyemata, who both played significant snaps in the last few years. In their place, the team brought in Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepard and drafted Bryan Bresee. The run defense, which had been a major strength took a big step back for the Saints last season. The new additions will be counted on to correct this issue. If Bresee develops at the typical rookie pace, this unit should be solid but lacking star power.
The Bucs still have one of the game’s elites at nose tackle in Vita Vea. As for depth, though, there isn’t much else in the way of established talent surrounding Vea. First-rounder Calijah Kancey does offer tantalizing potential, drawing Aaron Donald comparisons during the draft process. Unfortunately, he suffered a calf injury early in camp and may take time to ramp up. 2022 second-rounder Logan Hall and free agent signing Greg Gaines will be counted on to step up. Of the two, Hall comes with greater upside but has a ways to go following a lackluster rookie year. Aside from Vea, it’s hard to see high-end play coming from the Bucs lineman in 2022 while Hall and Kancey continue to develop.
The Panthers will also be undergoing a significant shift in their defensive line. With Steve Wilks out, the team will be transitioning to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ejiro Evero. Offseason additions Shy Tuttle and Deshawn Williams were brought in to create interior pressure along with Derrick Brown. Brown is a former top-ten pick with limited production but is coming off his best year. He’s an ascending talent and looking to make the jump into the upper tier of interior lineman.
Edge Rushers
The Best: Carolina Panthers
The Rest: New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons
The Panthers enter 2023 with the division’s best edge rusher in Brian Burns, separating them from the rest. Burns has improved every year since entering the league and is a critical part of the Panthers defensive transition. Opposite Burns, the Panthers have options with Yetur Gross-Matos and veteran Justin Houston. Gross-Matos has a ton of athleticism but hasn’t yet been able to translate it into much production. Houston turned 34 this year but continues to produce at an incredible rate. Coming off a 9.5 sack season, he fits perfectly as a pass rush specialist in this defense. Veteran Marquis Haynes had a career-high five sacks last season and offers solid depth.
While their interior went through a rebuild, the Saints will have continuity on the edge. Cameron Jordan and fourth-year pro Carl Granderson will again return as starters. Granderson is an unheralded name but has steadily improved throughout his career. The Saints rotate their defensive ends frequently, so the performance of depth pieces will be key. Payton Turner, 2021 first-rounder, may be the x-factor of this group. Turner’s career has been disappointing thus far, but he’s had a good preseason and still flashes major upside. If he stays healthy, he could turn this unit from a weakness to a strength. The team did also draft Isaiah Foskey, but he’s gone through somewhat of a slow start in camp and likely won’t contribute much in 2023.
The Bucs have talent on the edge but struggled to generate much production last season. They enter 2023 with the same two starters that began last season in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Shaq Barrett. This year, though, both come with significant questions. Tryon-Shoyinka had his moments last season but hasn’t strung together the consistency of a first-rounder. Barrett is entering his age 30 season and coming off an Achilles injury that prematurely ended his 2022 season. The most compelling name behind the pair may be third-round rookie Yaya Diaby. Diaby tested well in the draft process and is gifted athletically, but technique-wise still needs refinement.
The Falcons should see significant improvement in their interior, but may again struggle to find consistency off the edge. They brought in Bud Dupree, who has produced before but dealt with health issues last year in Tennessee. Lorenzo Carter has also been solid, but has never eclipsed more than five sacks in a season. Second-year player Arnold Ebiketie will be counted on to take significant strides forward this year. He’s coming off a rookie year in which he played all 16 games but had just 2.5 sacks. If he can’t make the leap, the Falcons will again deal with pass rush woes from the edge.
Linebackers
The Best: New Orleans Saints
The Rest: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons
If the Saints primary starters stay healthy, they should be able to maintain their status at the top. Demario Davis and Pete Werner have become one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. A late bloomer, Davis has emerged as one of the top off-ball linebackers the last few seasons. His durability, especially, has been incredible even into his 30s. Now, Davis is heading into his age-35 season, and may finally start showing some signs of decline. Werner on the other hand, is still just 24 but hasn’t been able to stay consistently healthy. His 2022 was off to a fantastic start before injury, though, and he’ll be looking to continue ascending. The Saints did lose Kaden Elliss, who filled in admirably for Werner last season. Depth behind Davis and Werner remains a concern, especially with 2020 third-rounder Zach Baun failing to develop the way the team envisioned.
The Bucs are not too far off from the Saints at the top of the group. Lavonte David and Devin White also form one of the league’s best duos at the position. David especially has showcased incredible consistency even as he enters his 30s. White, while flashing the ceiling of a superstar linebacker has also been maddeningly inconsistent at times. He can be a liability in coverage and is prone to missing tackles. He’s at his best when attacking downhill as a blitzer, and should continue being an asset overall. There isn’t much depth behind the two which could be problematic if White has another down year. Day three rookie SirVocea Dennis has been drawing praise recently as he looks to fill a primary backup role.
The Panthers should produce solid play in the run game from their linebackers this year. Returning starters Shaq Thompson and Frankie Luvu both had over 100 combined tackles last season. Neither are studs in coverage, but responsibilities will generally be lessened with the Panthers schematic transition. There isn’t much to speak of in terms of depth, though. Veteran Kamu Grugier-Hill is the biggest name, entering year eight in the league after a stint with the Cardinals last year.
The Falcons will be asking a lot of some unproven talent at linebacker. Their two leading tacklers from last year, Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker, are no longer on the team. As mentioned, they poached Kaden Elliss from the Saints after his breakout season. Elliss is coming off his first year of receiving starting snaps and shined in his opportunity. He was especially impressive as a pass rusher, finishing with seven sacks. He’s a piece new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen will understand how to best utilize. Next to Elliss will likely be last year’s second-rounder Troy Andersen. 2023 will be his first opportunity as a full-time starter, so it will be difficult to project his performance in this new role. With unproven starters and not much depth behind them, the Falcons find themselves at the bottom of the group.
Cornerbacks
The Best: New Orleans Saints
The Rest: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
Even without their superstar cornerback for a large chunk last season, the Saints had an excellent pass defense. Marshon Lattimore, at the top of his game, can be a lockdown corner. With his ability to be put on an island with opposing receivers, Lattimore significantly expands the Saints playbook defensively. Opposite Lattimore, Paulson Adebo appears to have won the job after a lengthy camp battle. Adebo had a promising rookie season but suffered an ankle injury early that affected his play last year. After the somewhat surprising cut of Bradley Roby, the Saints are rolling the dice with starting Alontae Taylor in the slot. Taylor received significant playing time outside last year earlier than anticipated after Lattimore’s injury. He performed admirably but is still developing technically. He’ll likely take his lumps learning a new position but offers rare playmaking ability that’s hard to keep stuck on the bench.
The Bucs don’t have a single-star corner but do possess a stellar 1-2 duo. Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean have both flashed shutdown ability, and both were recently signed to multi-year extensions. The Bucs did lose Sean Bunting and will be counting on improved play from second-year man Zyon McCollum. Bunting had been solid in the slot, an area where McCollum struggled at times his rookie year. Dean and Davis present a high-level boundary pairing, but the lack of proven depth behind the two may be an issue if injuries pop up.
The Falcons have one of the league’s best corners in A.J. Terrell, but uncertainty behind him. After an all-pro campaign in 2021, Terrell’s play took a step back last season. He’s shown elite play in the past, though, and should bounce back this season. In addition to Terrell, the Falcons do have some intriguing names in Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes. Both are former first-rounders whose careers clearly haven’t panned out as intended. Okudah, a top-five pick has especially disappointed, but has all the tools and is a low-risk, high-reward reclamation project. Fourth-rounder Clark Phillips is worth watching too and has had some good moments in camp. He may find himself contributing this year if Okudah and Hughes fail to turn things around.
The Panthers group of corners comes with a storyline almost exactly matching Atlanta’s. Following a breakout in 2022, Jaycee Horn has emerged as one of the league’s better corners. Horn could launch himself into the upper echelon of corners if he continues the trend he’s on. Donte Jackson and C.J. Henderson are the team’s other primary starters. Like with Okudah and Hughes, both Jackson and Henderson are former high picks who have failed to reach their full potential. The x-factor in the corner group may lie in the utilization of Jeremy Chinn. Chinn is a versatile weapon on defense and may be manning the slot more in passing situations this year. He’ll continue to be rotated throughout the defense, but it’s unknown how Chinn will fare with greater coverage responsibilities.
Safeties
The Best: New Orleans Saints
The Rest: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
Safeties may be the toughest defensive position group to rank these four. The Saints get the slightest of edges here due to their continuity at the position. Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye enter year two together, aiming to get off to a faster start this year. There were certainly growing pains from the Saints new additions in 2022, but both settled in well over the season and helped lead an elite secondary. The pair has proven capable of high-end play, and there is no reason to think this won’t continue this season. The Saints also brought in a few veterans with significant experience in Lonnie Johnson and Ugo Amadi. Neither match the level of the two starters but have scheme versatility that deepens an already diverse secondary.
The Bucs will be counting on the addition of an under-the-radar free agent to give them a formidable safety pairing. Antoine Winfield is one of the best young players at free safety and should continue to shine in year four. In a move that went unnoticed by many, the team signed Ryan Neal to fill the spot across Winfield. Neal came in as a UDFA and had a short stint in Atlanta before making his way to the Seahawks. He got his first big opportunity last season after Jamal Adams went down and played extremely well at safety. The Bucs lost Keanu Neal and Mike Edwards this offseason, but Neal may come with even higher upside. If he builds on his play from last season, he and Winfield can form one of the league’s better duos.
The Falcons too, will be relying on an offseason acquisition to bolster their safety room. Jessie Bates, though, comes as a much bigger name and with significantly higher expectations. Coming off a stellar run with the Bengals, Bates heads to Atlanta as the team’s headliner free-agent prize. He should give the Falcons some stability and form a stout tandem with third-year strong safety Richie Grant. Grant had a quiet rookie year but improved considerably in year two finishing fourth among all safeties in tackles. He’s proven his strength to be playing down in the box and should continue to thrive in that role with Bates occupying more of a single-high role in the back end. If Bates continues his elite play and Grant keeps ascending, this unit could rise quickly up this list.
The Panthers come in last among the group, but they certainly aren’t far off from the other three. With the addition of Vonn Bell in free agency, Jeremy Chinn may have more freedom in his utilization. Bell isn’t flashy, but always seems to have a nose for the ball and is a strong tackler. At free safety, Xavier Woods is heading into year two with the Panthers looking to build on a solid first year. Woods was solid in coverage but didn’t record an interception after picking off three his last season with the Vikings. If he can up the turnover numbers, Woods and Bell could be a ball-hawking duo. Additionally, if Chinn’s versatility proves to be an asset in multiple roles, this is another unit that has a ton of potential to impress in 2023.
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