Preseason all-star teams are all the rage in college football, so we’re trying something similar with our first-ever All-NFC South teams. Here are our picks for standouts at every position representing the four franchises in the league’s most competitive division. As is typical for the SEC, Big 10, and other major conferences, we’re working with first, second, and third teams.
But first, let’s recap each squad’s performance:
- New Orleans Saints: 27 total selections
- Atlanta Falcons: 23
- Carolina Panthers: 20
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 17
Additionally, the Saints had the most first-team selections (11) ahead of the Buccaneers (8) and Falcons (7), with the Panthers (3) in a distant fourth-place. Carolina made up for it with the most second-team picks (12), though; New Orleans (8) and Atlanta (6) trailed them, all well ahead of Tampa Bay (3). Like the Saints, the Buccaneers have a top-heavy roster thin on solid reserves, while the Panthers have a strong middle class without many impressive starters. The Falcons are just kind of a mess, but they’re hoping a good team can emerge from that chaos.
With all that said, here are the selections by position:
Quarterback
First team: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
No debate here: Carr is the most-accomplished passer in the division and he should bring a steadying presence to a Saints offense that could really use it.
Running back
First team: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Second team: Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Robinson arrives with a ton of hype — he’ll see a heavy workload from Week 1 in Atlanta, even if he doesn’t have the pro accomplishments yet that Williams and Sanders can boast. Let’s see if he can live up to these lofty expectations.
Running back
First team: Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
Second team: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
Allgeier rushed for more yards as a rookie (1,035) than Kamara or Patterson ever have in the NFL, and he’s poised for a big role again despite Atlanta adding Robinson early in the 2023 draft.
Wide receiver
First team: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Credit where it’s due: Evans is a tough out given his outrageous catch radius and rare speed for someone his size. He’s a problem for defenses each week. London is on the right path, but Thomas could rocket back to the top if he can just get healthy.
Wide receiver
First team: Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Impressive as Olave was last year, Godwin has done the same thing year in and year out. That’s the standard Olave is chasing. Shaheed outpaced his rivals in Atlanta and Carolina and should take a big step forward in a full-time role.
Tight end
First team: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: Foster Moreau, New Orleans Saints
Pitts needs to show he’s a fit in Arthur Smith’s offense after a down year, while Johnson is set to build off his 2022 success with a veteran quarterback throwing to him. If healthy, Moreau is a better option than many teams’ No. 1 tight ends.
Left tackle
First team: Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Jake Matthews, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: Ikem Ekwonu, Carolina Panthers
Wirfs has played at a ridiculously high level on the right side, but now he’s moving back to his college position at left tackle. Matthews is a very solid starter, and Ekwonu is off to a good start — if he can cut down on the penalties.
Left guard
First team: Andrus Peat, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Brady Christensen, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Matthew Bergeron, Atlanta Falcons
Yeah, Peat is the best at his position in the division — for now. Christensen is an ascending talent and the early returns on Bergeron’s move from tackle to guard are promising.
Center
First team: Erik McCoy, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Ryan Jensen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Third team: Drew Dalman, Atlanta Falcons
Can Jensen rebound from last year’s season-ending injury? Dalman is a steady presence in the middle of Atlanta’s line, but neither player has the highlight reel-worthy blocks that McCoy throws each week.
Right guard
First team: Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Second team: Austin Corbett, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Cody Mauch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lindstrom is one of the best guards in football, and Corbett has been a nice pickup for Carolina. Mauch looks like an impactful player from Day 1 for Tampa Bay. Cesar Ruiz has made strides for New Orleans, but to this point in his career the good doesn’t outweigh the bad.
Right tackle
First team: Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Taylor Moton, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Kaleb McGary, Atlanta Falcons
Ramczyk is still the best at what he does in this division, even if he hasn’t played up to his usual standards while managing injuries. Moton is surging, though, and McGary isn’t far behind. One of them could soon unseat him.
Defensive end
First team: Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers
Second team: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Third team: Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints
Burns is a top-flight pass rusher around the entire league, not just in the division, but it’s worth noting that Tryon-Shoyinka had the second-most quarterback pressures at Pro Football Focus last year. Granderson is a solid rotation player but the Saints are hoping he can take another step forward this season.
Defensive end
First team: Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Calais Campbell, Atlanta Falcons
Barrett has been a consistent producer ever since he signed with Tampa Bay. While Jordan is continuing to age well, 6 of his 8 sacks came in two games last year, and he isn’t the regular producer fans grew used to. The Falcons hope Campbell can be that guy after paying him highly in free agency.
Defensive tackle
First team: Grady Jarrett, Atlanta Falcons
Second team: Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Calijah Kancey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jarrett is the closest thing you’ll see the Aaron Donald this side of the Mississippi River, though the Buccaneers hope Kancey can have a similar impact. Brown remains an underrated player in this league.
Defensive tackle
First team: Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: David Onyemata, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: Bryan Bresee, New Orleans Saints
Vea might be the best nose tackle in the game today. Onyemata’s best plays might be behind him, and Bresee might be the guy to replace him in New Orleans.
Linebacker
First team: Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Shaq Thompson, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Mykal Walker, Atlanta Falcons
Davis sets a gold standard for every other linebacker in the division to chase. Thompson is a good player but he misses too many tackles to warrant the “great” label, while Walker’s career has started well in Atlanta.
Linebacker
First team: Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Pete Werner, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Troy Andersen, Atlanta Falcons
David is the most underrated linebacker of his generation, if not the most underrated player, period. Werner has shown plenty to like but he needs to get past the injury bug. Andersen is a solid role player.
Linebacker
First team: Devin White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Frankie Luvu, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Kaden Elliss, Atlanta Falcons
There are flaws in White’s game which can be exploited, but at the end of the day he makes enough plays to suggest he can clean it up and become a more well-rounded player. Luvu has done nothing but make a positive impact on the Panthers defense for years now. Elliss was sensational in his first role as a regular starter.
Slot
First team: Antoine Winfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Jeremy Chinn, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Bradley Roby, New Orleans Saints
Winfield lines up all over the field (as does Chinn), but he’s done his best work covering the slot. Chinn seems to make two or three plays every time he faces off with New Orleans. Roby is a reliable veteran with the benefits of experience.
Strong safety
First team: Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Vonn Bell, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Richie Grant, Atlanta Falcons
It took a few weeks for Mathieu to settle into the Saints defense, but he ended the year as one of their best playmakers. Bell returns to the NFC South (but not to New Orleans) as a seasoned veteran who developed rapidly with the Cincinnati Bengals. Grant is a decent starter in the Atlanta secondary.
Free safety
First team: Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons
Second team: Xavier Woods, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Marcus Maye, New Orleans Saints
Bates arrived in Atlanta with a ton of fanfare, and he’s rightfully seen as one of the game’s best free safeties. Woods has proven to be a great free agent pickup for Carolina. Maye hasn’t met expectations with New Orleans after missing a lot of time with injuries in 2022, and he’s facing a likely suspension in 2023.
Cornerback
First team: Carlton Davis III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second team: Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Jamel Dean, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davis was the last cornerback to get the better of Michael Thomas before his injuries, and he’s still one of the game’s better cover corners today. Taylor is a rising star. Dean is a reliable starter though he lacks Davis’s instincts for making plays.
Cornerback
First team: Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Second team: A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers
Some opposing fans are going to learn the hard way just how dynamic Lattimore can be now that he’s recovered from a bizarre internal organ injury. Terrell lost any claim he had to the top spot when Michael Thomas scored two touchdowns on him in crunch time last year. Horn has shown he can run with anyone, he just needs to stay healthy.
Punter
First team: Johnny Hekker, Carolina Panthers
Second team: Blake Gillikin, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Jake Camarda, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hekker was impressive for the Panthers even as he gets up there in years, while Gillikin finished the season stronger than he started it. Camarda has shown some very intriguing flashes early in his career.
Kicker
First team: Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons,
Second team: Eddy Pineiro, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints
Koo is one of the most exciting kickers in the league, which can’t be said about many specialists. He’s got a big leg and always seems to take the field in must-win situations. Pineiro experienced some highs and lows but he still had a better year than Lutz. Tampa Bay is in for a rare training camp kicker battle.
Long snapper
First team: Zach Wood, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Liam McCullough, Atlanta Falcons
Third team: J.J. Jansen, Carolina Panthers
Wood has been a reliable snapper for the Saints for years now, while McCullough and Jansen have both been unspectacular — which is a compliment for players who hope most fans never learn their names, something that only happens in a catastrophe.
Kick returner
First team: Raheem Blackshear, Carolina Panthers
Second team: Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Third team: Deven Thompkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Blackshear has made his intentions of ignoring the new touchback rule clear, and he’s a real one for it. Hopefully he’s rewarded with some material for his highlight reel and a nice payday. It’s unclear how often Shaheed will be returning kicks after taking on a heavier workload on offense, but he was dynamic in the role as a rookie.
Punt returner
First team: Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Shi Smith, Carolina Panthers
Third team: Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
Shaheed shined when given the green-light to field punts last year, but Smith is capable too. It’s a shame Avery Williamson was lost with an injury because he was very effective for Atlanta a season ago.
Special teams
First team: J.T. Gray, New Orleans Saints
Second team: Sam Franklin Jr., Carolina Panthers
Third team: Ko Kieft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gray has the Pro Bowls and All-Pro recognition, but Franklin excels covering punts and kickoffs too. And Kieft led the division in special teams snaps and tackles last season. Every team could use a hard-nosed blocking tight end who gets downfield in a hurry like him.
Recap
- New Orleans Saints: 27 total selections (11 first team)
- Atlanta Falcons: 23 total selections (6 first team)
- Carolina Panthers: 20 total selections (3 first team)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 17 total selections (9 first team)
