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Buccaneers NFC South position rankings: Defensive ends

By Michael Horan

TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive end Noah Spence #57 converge on quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks for the sack during the first quarter of an NFL game on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive end Noah Spence #57 converge on quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks for the sack during the first quarter of an NFL game on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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For the first time in years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can tout a solid group of defensive ends. How do they match up against their neighbors in the NFC South?

TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 01: Noah Spence #57 and Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate after a failed two-point conversion attempt by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 17-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 01: Noah Spence #57 and Lavonte David #54 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate after a failed two-point conversion attempt by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Panthers 17-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Before the addition of Jason Pierre-Paul, the result of this particular ranking would be obvious to Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans. Just like every season since Simeon Rice, the Buccaneers would finish last. But thankfully for everyone, that isn’t the case.

The former USF Bull and New York Giant has provided the Bucs with a potential spark for one of their longest-running positional woes. At last, it looks like the defensive end position may be on the rise for the Buccaneers.

Related Story: NFC South Quarterback rankings

Even with JPP in tow, the Bucs face some stiff competition around the NFC South. The Falcons are one season removed from having a 15 sack player, while the Saints can boast possession of one of the best all-around defensive ends in the league.

If this were a division like the AFC North I would be sure to note that not all defensive ends are tasked with the same job. A base 3-4 end plays a different game than a base 4-3 end. But in the South, all four teams operate mostly out of a traditional 4-3 with four down linemen (Atlanta gets creative).

With that said, working downward in our established order of last season’s records, we’ll break down the prominent defensive ends from each team, then rank them from best to worst on the final slide. Let’s get started!

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