2017 NFC South Draft Review
Atlanta Falcons
- Takkarist McKinley DE/OLB UCLA
- Duke Riley OLB LSU
- Sean Harlow OG Oregon St.
- Damontae Kazee CB San Diego St.
- Brian Hill RB Wyoming
- Eric Saubert TE Drake
Immediate Impact: DE/OLB Takkarist McKinley, OG Sean Harlow
Last season the Falcons counted on Dwight Freeney to bring pressure opposite Vic Beasley, yes, the same Dwight Freeney from Peyton Manning’s heyday with the Colts. Needless to say, the Falcons needed a new pass rusher and they got one in McKinley. He’s quick and athletic and while he won’t line up on every down he’ll line up on the passing downs that matter. The Falcons have a pretty gaping hole at RG and Harlow will have every opportunity to fill it.
Best Value: CB Damontae Kazee
Kazee is a small CB that should excel covering the slot. With the return of top CB Desmond Trufant the Falcons have good group including Robert Alford and Jalen Collins but Kazee has a different skill set and you can never have too many good CBs. For a fifth round pick he’s a pretty solid choice.
Sleeper: RB Brian Hill
The Falcons have an elite duo at RB in Davonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman but they don’t have a lot behind those guys. Both Freeman and Coleman are perfect for the running game they employ but neither one is really a power back. Hill has a little more size than either one and will make for a really solid backup and change-of-pace back.
Overall Analysis
McKinley fills a major need and Harlow might fill a smaller one. The team did exceptionally well drafting speedy LBs Deion Jones and De’Vondre Campbell last year so they went that route again with Duke Riley. Kazee and Hill should fill in some nice depth where the Falcons need it. TE Eric Saubert is a project but he could give them a pass catching TE to use while he works on his blocking.
Carolina Panthers
- Christian McCaffrey RB Stanford
- Curtis Samuel WR Ohio St.
- Taylor Moton OT Western Michigan
- Daeshon Hall DE Texas A&M
- Corn Elder CB Miami
- Alex Armah DE West Georgia
- Harrison Butker K Georgia Tech
Immediate Impact: RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Curtis Samuel
The Panthers went for playmakers early in the draft and McCaffrey is the top one. He isn’t going to be a 20-25 carry back battering his way up the middle of the field. They will get him in space and let him make plays. The same thing can be said for Samuel. He played RB and WR at Ohio St. and he looks like a slot receiver too. It will be interesting how the team deploys two very similar players.
Best Value: DE Daeshon Hall
Hall was overshadowed at Texas A&M by some guy names Myles Garrett but he’s a pretty solid prospect himself. The Panthers brought back Charles Johnson, re-signed Mario Addison and brought home Julius Peppers but none of those guys are spring chickens anymore so Hall has a chance to lend a hand without getting thrown to the wolves right away.
Sleeper: OT Taylor Moton
The Panthers brought in LT Matt Kalil and they plan to play either Daryl Williams or Michael Oher at RT but don’t count out Moton. He played at Western Michigan but he played well in the Senior Bowl and he can play with the big boys. None of the OTs on the roster are elite guys so Moton could make a move in training camp.
Overall Analysis
McCaffrey is the type of player that can change an entire offense and make Cam Newton that much more dangerous. I question the wisdom of drafting Samuel when he duplicates so many of McCaffrey’s skills and you need more help on the offensive line and defensive backfield. Moton and Hall have potential to be major contributors down the line and maybe to a certain extent this season. CB Corn Elder gives them another body to try and he may be better than what they have right now at nickel corner. Armah is a lottery ticket that is unlikely to pay off. Taking a kicker in the 7th round when you don’t have a reliable kicker is understandable.
New Orleans Saints
- Marshon Lattimore CB Ohio St.
- Ryan Ramczyk OT Wisconsin
- Marcus Williams FS Utah
- Alvin Kamara RB Tennessee
- Alex Anzalone OLB Florida
- Trey Hendrickson DE Florida Atlantic
- Al-Quadin Muhammad DE Miami
Immediate Impact: CB Marshon Lattimore, OT Ryan Ramczyk
The Saints have been searching for an answer at CB for years and Lattimore fell into their lap because three QBs and three WRs went in the top nine picks of this draft. Lattimore has to stay healthy and he needs some experience but he’s a huge talent and is far better than and CB on the Saints roster. The Ramczyk pick was panned a bit because no one really saw it coming. It’s true the Saints don’t have an obvious need but RT Zach Strief is 34-years old and he’s never been a top-notch OT. If Ramczyk is recovered from his hip injury, and it looks like he will be, he could take that job away from Strief and help protect Drew Brees a little better.
Best Value: RB Alvin Kamara
There were plenty of people who thought Kamara was a potential 1st round draft pick and the Saints stole him in the 3rd round. He’ll bring a different dimension to the offense than their current RBs and maybe give them a little bit of what they once had in Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles.
Sleeper: LB Alex Anzalone
The Saints defense needs help at every level and Anzalone is a really good player that fell because he has some injury history. If he can stay healthy he could push Dannelle Ellerbe out of a job. Anzalone has a solid skill set the Saints could really use.
Overall Analysis
Lattimore and Ramczyk were fantastic 1st round picks and should be a major part of the Saints next year and for the foreseeable future. FS Marcus Williams is a fantastic talent and worthy of the 42nd pick the only problem is that the one spot on the Saints defense that looks pretty set is at safety with Vonn Bell and Kenny Vaccaro. Williams is fantastic depth but perhaps a pass rusher would have been more prudent (Tyus Bowser, Ryan Anderson and DeMarcus Walker were all still available). I’m starting to think the Saints don’t like Mark Ingram anymore with the signing of Adrian Peterson and now the drafting of Alvin Kamara. Kamara was too good to pass up but it certainly seems like they don’t have much faith in Mark Ingram. DE Trey Hendrickson is a potential pass rushing specialist but Al-Quadin Muhammad is a major character risk and I don’t know if he was worth the trouble.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OJ Howard TE Alabama
- Justin Evans SS Texas A&M
- Chris Godwin WR Penn St.
- Kendall Beckwith ILB LSU
- Jeremy McNichols RB Boise St.
- Steve Tu’ikolovatu DT Southern California
Immediate Impact: TE OJ Howard, SS Justin Evans
Cameron Brate had a pretty solid year at TE for the Bucs last season but OJ Howard will make them a two-TE set team with a dominant pair of pass catching TEs. The Bucs need safety help and while the signing of free agent JJ Wilcox helps Justin Evans has a really good chance to take the starting SS job immediately. He likes to hit more than he likes to tackle but they can work on that, he’s far better than anyone else on the roster.
Best Value: TE OJ Howard
He was thought to be a potential top 10 pick and the Bucs stayed put and he fell into their lap. He can be a dynamic playmaker and he’ll become a favorite target of Jameis Winston.
Sleeper: RB Jeremy McNichols
Doug Martin will miss the beginning of the season with a suspension, Charles Sims can’t stay healthy and hasn’t proven to be reliable and Jacquizz Rodgers is not built to be an every down back. McNichols isn’t tall but he’s well-built and he carried the load at Boise St. just fine. He could be a real steal out of the fifth round.
Overall Analysis
Howard joins Brate, WR Mike Evans and newly signed WR DeSean Jackson as major offensive weapons for Jameis Winston. Evans fills a major need in the secondary at safety. The choice of Godwin is a little strange since he really wasn’t an elite player and the Bucs had bigger needs like offensive line and in the secondary. LB Kendall Beckwith is a big, physical LB coming off an injury but if he is healthy he gives their LB corps a different look from the smaller speedy LBs Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David. He would be the run stuffer in the middle of the defense on running downs. The USC DT who’s name I cannot pronounce and refuse to try to spell again might add some depth at DT but he’s just as likely to end up cut.
The Hott Read 