Ranking the Defenses of the NFC South

See where each of the NFC South teams rank defensively heading into the 2023-24 season.

There has been plenty of star power in the NFC South over the last seven or so seasons. Quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, and Jameis Winston. Running backs Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Christian McCaffrey, and Leonard Fournette. Wideouts like Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and D.J. Moore.

It's been the division's defenses that has taken center stage in recent years. The New Orleans Saints went from having a historically bad defense through the middle part of last decade into one of the league's better units that fueled a string of four straight division titles. Most assume that Brady and the Tampa Bay offense carried them to three consecutive playoff berths. Their defense was just as responsible, especially during their Super Bowl run.

As we creep toward the 2023-24 NFL season, here are my defensive rankings for the NFC South. 

4. Atlanta Falcons 

Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (24) breaks up a pass against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18). Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

You'd be hard-pressed to find a busier team than Atlanta was on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. The Falcons added DE Calais Campbell, EDGE Bud Dupree, CB Mike Hughes, and S Jessie Bates in free agency while trading for CB Jeff Okudah. The Falcons also took the term ''imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'' to heart by bringing on three former Saints in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, DT David Onyemata, and LB Kaden Elliss. 

Atlanta ranked 23rd in points allowed, 27th in total yardage, 25th against the pass, 23rd against the run, and 31st in 3rd Down Percentage in 2022. The Falcons also managed a paltry 21 sacks last season, second fewest in the league. 

Atlanta has been putrid on this side of the ball for a while. They've ranked 25th or lower in total defense in five of the last seven years. The new additions should have an impact, but could take some time to jell. The Falcons also have some talented holdovers in Grady Jarrett, CB A.J. Terrell, S Richie Grant, and LB Mykal Walker.

Ryan Nielsen is a fabulous defensive coach. He'll get the Falcons on the right track and will make the unit extremely aggressive. They still look to have some big questions in the secondary and must show they can stop the run.

3. Carolina Panthers 

Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (53) at the line of scrimmage against the Detroit Lions. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Like Atlanta, the Panthers also tried to bolster their defense by adding from their division rivals. Former Saints DT Shy Tuttle and S Vonn Bell were brought to Carolina this offseason. The Panthers also added DE Henry Anderson and S Eric Rowe.

A rugged unit with several young talents, Carolina struggled defensively in several moments last season. They finished ranked 19th in points allowed, 22nd in total yards and against the pass, and 18th against the run. Pro Bowl DE Brian Burns is coming off a career-best 12.5 sacks, but the rest of the team managed only 23 QB takedowns. 

Along with Burns, the Panthers also have some fine players in S Jeremy Chinn, linebackers Frankie Luvu and Shaq Thompson, and CB Donte Jackson. Health has also been an issue for this unit, especially in the secondary. Jackson and CB Jaycee Horn have both missed significant time with injuries. Former high draft picks DT Derrick Brown, CB C.J. Henderson, and DE Yetur Gross-Matos have also underperformed since joining the Panthers. 

Carolina has the pieces for a top defense on paper. It was good enough to keep the Panthers in contention for the division title last season, but it's never shown the consistency to be a top-ranked squad. 

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine (34) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers Devin White (45) and Lavonte David (54). Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY

The Buccaneers were ravaged by personnel losses this offseason, highlighted by the retirement of Tom Brady. They kept most of their starting defense together, but most of the unit's depth is now gone.

Tampa Bay ranked ninth in total defense, 13th in points allowed, 9th against the pass, but slipped to 15th in run defense. Despite losing top edge rusher Shaq Barrett for the year at mid-season, their 45 sacks ranked fifth in the NFL.

The Buccaneers have some fine returning players with Barrett, DT Vita Vea, S Antoine Winfield, CB Carlton Davis, and linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White. They used their first-round pick on Pitt DE Calijah Kancey and Day 2 picks on DE YaYa Diaby and LB SirVocea Dennis to bolster a front seven that already included recent high draft choices in Vea, White, DE Logan Hall, and OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Tampa Bay still has the defensive talent to carry the team. They'll have to, with a major deficiency at quarterback and big concerns offensively. However, this is a defense that could also wear down without offensive support. The young players up front will need to develop quickly. The Buccaneers also don't appear to have the cornerback depth to match up against deeper receiving corps. 

1. New Orleans Saints 

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) gets ready for a play against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints have had a lot of changeover on this side of the ball. They lost both their defensive coordinators (Nielsen and Kris Richard), along with three defensive tackles (Onyemata, Tuttle, Kentavius Street), along with Elliss and DE Marcus Davenport in free agency. 

New Orleans addressed those issues by signing tackles Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders and spending high draft picks on Clemson DT Bryan Bresee and Notre Dame DE Isaiah Foskey. They also brought in highly-regarded Joe Woods as the new defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham to oversee the defensive line, and Marcus Robertson for the secondary. There won't be much change in terminology, scheme, or aggressiveness since head coach Dennis Allen is still expected to call the plays.

The Saints ranked fifth in total defense and ninth in points allowed in 2022, allowing less than 20 over the last six games of the year. They ranked second against the pass, but a usually dominant run defense collapsed all the way to 24th. Their 48 sacks were fourth in the league, but they ranked near the bottom in pressures and QB hurries. 

Expect the Saints to perform much better against the run in 2023. Bresee, Foskey, Shepherd, and Saunders were also brought in with an eye on increasing QB pressures. New Orleans will also need to create more turnovers. The Saints forced just 14 turnovers in 2022, including 7 interceptions. Both numbers ranked a lowly 30th in the NFL. 

There is plenty of defensive talent in New Orleans. Cam Jordan, LB Demario Davis, and CB Marshon Lattimore are among the league's best at their positions. Corner Alontae Taylor and LB Pete Werner are budding stars. Safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye are highly respected playmakers, while CB Paulson Adebo, DE Carl Granderson, and DE Tanoh Kpassagnon are underrated contributors.

The Saints defense carried a lackluster offense through much of the last two years. While much-improved on the offensive side, this New Orleans defense could still put up elite numbers in 2023.