NFC South preseason power rankings: Buccaneers face competition from Falcons

The NFC South is a fascinating division. It hasn't produced a 10-win team for the past two seasons, but the playoff race is always entertaining. With and without Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken home the division title three years on the bounce.

Can the Carolina Panthers (stop laughing) or New Orleans Saints provide competition? What about the new-look Atlanta Falcons led by Kirk Cousins?

Expectations are high for Atlanta after adding not one but two quarterbacks (again, stop laughing), while Tampa Bay has quietly gone about its business this offseason.

The football might not always be perfect, but another entertaining season in the NFC South awaits.

Buccaneers face competition from Falcons to retain NFC South title

4. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers spent the offseason building around Bryce Young, bringing in Xavier Legette, Diontae Johnson, and Jonathon Brooks. That helps, but former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales isn't doing his young quarterback any favors by holding him out of the preseason.

Carolina needs Young to take a significant step forward after throwing only 11 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions as a rookie.

Of greater concern is a defensive unit sans superstar pass rusher Brian Burns. If the Panthers can't consistently rush the passer, forget about competing in the NFC South.

3. New Orleans Saints

The rest of the NFC South will be pretty content with how things stand in New Orleans. While the Panthers are at the bottom of our rankings with a lot to work on, they are a Bryce Young breakout season away from drastically shifting their long-term outlook.

It's a different story for the Saints. We can pencil them in for 7-9 wins and forget about it. They are nowhere near competing in the NFC but likely have too much talent to land a top-five pick. It's perfect.

New Orleans, a 9-8 but playoff-less team in 2023, will undoubtedly be tough to beat. Derek Carr had a decent first season for the Saints and the team has plenty of veteran talent. But the Saints are neither rebuilding nor competing and still face daunting salary cap challenges down the line. That's fine by us.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta may have won the offseason, but winning in the regular season is a different ballgame.

Kirk Cousins' arrival will undoubtedly make the Falcons contenders in the wide-open NFC South. He is surrounded by talent, especially at running back, which should make life comfortable for him as he returns from a significant injury.

But we have to talk about the defense. According to ESPN, Atlanta ranked last in pass rush win rate last season. Desperately in need of a pass rusher or cornerback, the Falcons drafted a quarterback. That should help.

Defense wins championships. Kirk Cousins doesn't.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are still the team to beat. The national media won't give them much love, but what's new?

Jason Licht quietly put together an impressive offseason. He retained Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Tristan Wirfs, and Antoine Winfield Jr. while upgrading positions of need via the draft. Graham Barton improves the offensive line from Day 1, while Tykee Smith is the frontrunner to win the slot corner job.

Until proven otherwise, the Buccaneers are the best team in the NFC South. Mayfield is coming off a strong season and has an even better supporting cast this year. This team has the talent to win a fourth consecutive division title.

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