With the NFL Draft in the rear view mirror and OTAs getting started, preparation for the 2017 season is in full swing. Right now, the rosters of all 32 teams currently stand at 90 players. But in roughly three and a half months time, that number will dwindle down to 53. Making an NFL roster is always tough and for some, their dreams of playing in the pros will be cut short or ended altogether.
But at the other end of the spectrum are those elite players who fans admire and everyone else in the league tries to emulate. They are the ones whose roster spots are never in question and who are expected to help lead their team to greatness year in and year out. While some are rare bright spots on mediocre teams, others comprise a core group of talented individuals on teams expected to contend for a spot in the Super Bowl.
Last Word on Pro Football is examining the top players in all eight divisions as the season approaches. The next division in focus is the NFC South. A division noted for its unpredictability during the realignment era, one aspect that remains the same is the offensive firepower, especially considering the last two NFL MVP’s reside in this Southern region. With the consistent excellence of household-name veterans and the eye-grabbing abilities of budding stars, defenders truly must fight their way onto this list.
Top Players of the NFC South Heading Into 2017
1. Matt Ryan
The fact that numerous pundits deem Matt Ryan as a “system player” is both inexplicable and laughable. Excluding last year, Ryan was already a three-time Pro Bowler who led the Atlanta Falcons to the NFC’s number-one playoff seed twice in a three-season stretch from 2010-2012. Dubbed as the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 after leading the Falcons’ rebound efforts from their tumultuous 2007 campaign, the future of the Boston College product was bright. Even with respected playcaller Kyle Shanahan, he wasn’t going to regress in any capacity. The 31-year-old achieved career-highs in yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating en route to guiding Atlanta to its first Super Bowl appearance since 1998. With his career-best year, Ryan has now made the Pro Bowl under three different offensive coordinators–not to mention that both of his NFL head coaches, Mike Smith and Dan Quinn, are defensive-minded staffers. Shanahan does deserve his credit, but Ryan was already upper-echelon signal-caller. Only a gut-wrenching defeat on Super Sunday overshadowed what was a dream season.
2. Julio Jones
Throughout the 2014 season and into the subsequent off-season, the debate of who was the best receiver in the league featured Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown and Demaryius Thomas. Julio Jones was mentioned on occasions, but he was never much considered above the aforementioned pass-catchers. Despite already being a two-time Pro Bowler, Jones exploded in 2015 with 136 receptions for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns with a 116.9 yards per game average, solidifying the top wideout spot over Falcons great Roddy White. Though limited to 14 games after his career-best 2015 output, Jones still hauled in 83 catches for 1,409 yards and six scores. The former Alabama standout took over the NFC Championship game with his nine-catch, 180-yard and two-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers. When healthy, the 6’4’’, 220-pound wideout is an unstoppable force who can break a game open instantaneously with his speed and explosiveness. Since defense isn’t the NFC South’s strongest quality, Jones will continue to feast upon secondaries.
3. Drew Brees
There are three things in life that remain constant: the sun shines, the wind blows and Drew Brees eclipses 5,000 passing yards. In 2016, the New Orleans Saints quarterback amassed the 5,000-yard barrier for the unprecedented fifth time while completing a career-best 471 passes for 37 scoring strikes. His efforts helped the Saints become the league’s top offense for the six time since 2006. Missing only two games during his 11-year run in Louisiana, “father time” has yet to catch up with him. The downside is that New Orleans has finished 7-9 three consecutive years due to its ever-anemic defensive unit. Adding Adrian Peterson will alleviate pressure off Brees’ arm, so if the Saints defense one day decides to be remotely decent, he will have to opportunity to play January football again.
4. Luke Kuechly
The first sighting of a defensive player on this list goes to a familiar name. At just 26, Luke Kuechly has earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year honor, a Defensive Player of the Year award, four Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro selections. Although he was named DPOY back in 2013, he set career marks for interceptions, defensive touchdowns and forced fumbles during the dominant 2015 Super Bowl run by the Carolina Panthers. What’s more impressive was that he accomplished those feats in only 13 games. Kuechly was held to only 10 contests last season, but he still managed to make 102 tackles and get two sacks (his most since 2014). Continually displaying his knack for corralling ballcarriers and defending aerial plays, Kuechly is not only the best defensive player in the NFC’s Southern division, but he’s arguably the most complete player in the National Football League. Alike Julio Jones, not too many players are better when he is at 100 percent.
5. Gerald McCoy
Speaking of consistent veterans, Gerald McCoy frequently has his work go unheralded. Affiliated with the superb 2010 defensive tackle draft class that featured Ndamukong Suh and Geno Atkins, McCoy has assembled a highly-productive NFL career after a slow start. Combining for nine sacks from 2010-2012, McCoy recorded 9.5 takedowns, four passes defended and a forced fumble in 2013 to garner his second-straight Pro Bowl selection and his first All-Pro honor. Since that campaign, the Buccaneer interior lineman has brought the quarterback down at least six times each year. It’s also worth noting that the 29-year-old has only started all 16 games twice in seven professional seasons. Compiling 168 tackles, 42 sacks, 19 passes defended and six forced fumbles, McCoy is quietly forming a respectable resume for Canton, Ohio.
6. Devonta Freeman
Already the unsung hero of Atlanta’s dynamic offensive trio, Devonta Freeman is arguably the most underrated running back in the NFL. Considered the runaway favorite for Offensive Player of the Year halfway through 2015, Freeman has steadily become a more reliable option in the Falcons approach. Tallying 3,648 combined yards of offense and 29 total touchdowns in three NFL seasons, Freeman has proven to be a mismatch at any place on the football field. Though he’s not at the All-Pro level as his superstar teammates, his versatility played an integral part in the record-setting year for the Atlanta Falcons. Having Tevin Coleman as a capable backup keeps him fresh for virtually every game, which is bad news for defenses week after week.
7. Thomas Davis
Had injuries not harmed his professional playing days, Thomas Davis could be in the same tier as teammate Luke Kuechly. During Carolina’s road to the Super Bowl in 2015, Davis accumulated 105 tackles and achieved personal bests in sacks (5.5), interceptions (four), passes defended (seven) and forced fumbles (four). He followed up with 106 more stops, 2.5 sacks and four passes defended in 2016 to earn back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. Seamlessly coexisting with Kuechly, the Panthers will always be tough to handle defensively.
8. Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston’s decorative football stretch from 2013-2015, in order, consists of the Heisman Trophy, a National Championship, a College Football Playoff appearance, a Pro Bowl selection and Pepsi Rookie of the Year. Drafted number one overall by Tampa Bay in 2015, Winston’s talent and potential were unquestioned. Throwing for 8,132 yards and 50 touchdowns in his first seasons, he perhaps has the highest ceiling among the younger generation of NFC South contemporaries. Already with Mike Evans on the roster, the Bucs have added DeSean Jackson to go on the opposite side. Those two players will only make life easier for Tampa’s first-round pick O.J. Howard, the highly-touted tight end from Alabama. Given the skillset Winston provides along with his recharged offense and the recent trend for NFC South quarterbacks, it’s not outlandish to say that the third-year passer will be the Most Valuable Player recipient.
9. Mike Evans
Briefly mentioned a moment ago, Mike Evans has the potential to greatly aid his quarterback. Moreover, he has the chance to be classified as an elite wide receiver. At 6’5’’, 231 pounds, little bushes can’t guard big trees. The former Texas A&M star has increased his reception, yards and yards per game totals each season since he was drafted in 2014. With him and Winston only 23 years of age, they can mature into the best quarterback-wide receiver duo in football. For a franchise that gained respect for its defense during its glory days, Evans helps provide a new wave of offensive fireworks in Tampa Bay.
10. Vic Beasley
Vic Beasley rounds out the Top 10 as the fourth Falcon on the list. After a mild rookie campaign in 2015, Beasley ripped off 15.5 sacks, 39 tackles, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown last season. Imagined if he’d started all 16 games instead of only 12. Obtaining his first Pro Bowl selection, he was the brightest spot on the Falcons speedy and athletic defense. The Clemson product is yet another example of how the NFC South will be in good hands once the elder statesmen decide to call it a career.
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