Suddenly, the NFC South has three promising quarterbacks.
Baker Mayfield had another prolific season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Atlanta Falcons might have found their franchise quarterback after Michael Penix Jr. impressed in the final month of his rookie season. Even the Carolina Panthers have optimism at quarterback after Bryce Young displayed vast improvements following his early in-season benching.
But the New Orleans Saints don’t appear to have answers at quarterback, facing a looming dilemma with Derek Carr’s contract. They’ll need to make a few major moves to get under the salary cap limit.
As for the three other teams, they need to focus on the defensive side to help the quarterbacks build from last year’s success.
Here’s one move each team in the division needs to make.
Atlanta Falcons
One move they should make: Acquire a star edge rusher
It’s hard to knock the Falcons for putting their issues at edge rusher on hold because they used the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft to select Penix, who impressed with three starts to end the season.
But the Falcons missed the postseason partly because they couldn’t generate a consistent pass rush. The trade for veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon backfired, especially playing on an older defensive front. Atlanta lacks a cornerstone player at edge rusher, interior defensive line and inside linebacker.
Coach Raheem Morris hopes new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich can get the defensive front going in 2025, but that will be a tall order without a legitimate No. 1 edge rusher. Also, the Falcons could be limited in free agency because they committed plenty of money to quarterback Kirk Cousins, who flamed out during the second half of the season. Atlanta needs to make sure this year’s first-round pick makes an immediate impact on the defensive side.
Carolina Panthers
One move they should make: Fix the run defense
The Panthers finally took steps forward in a rebuilding process that stalled for a few years before coach Dave Canales arrived last season. Canales improved the offensive line and rushing attack and received impressive performances from Young after he returned from his benching.
Obviously, the Panthers still have work to do on the offensive side, including finding another playmaker for Young, the 2023 No. 1 pick. But the Panthers, who pick eighth in April’s draft, aren’t going to win many games without improving the run defense. They allowed a whopping 3,057 total rushing yards—by far the worst in the league—and allowed an average of 179.8 rushing yards per game.
It’s going to help Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 defensive scheme once he gets back defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who missed most of 2024 after sustaining a knee injury in September. But Brown needs plenty of help on the defensive line. It’s going to take a few moves to improve this defensive front, but the Panthers need to make sure the edge rushers can set the edge and the linebackers aren’t afraid of downhill tackling.
New Orleans Saints
One move they should make: Draft a QB in the first or second round
Veteran quarterback Carr might be on the trading block because he carries a $51.4 million cap hit and the Saints are $54.1 million over the salary cap, according to OvertheCap.com.
It appears the Saints, who have missed the postseason in four consecutive seasons, have finally accepted they need to repair the salary cap to get a true rebuild going in New Orleans. But they’re going to have a gaping hole at quarterback if they find a team to take on Carr’s contract. Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round pick, likely isn’t the long-term answer after making six shaky starts in his rookie season.
Perhaps the Saints aim to trade up from No. 9 to draft one of the top quarterback prospects—Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Maybe the Saints trade down to acquire more picks and take their chances with Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe or Dillon Gabriel in the second or third round. This will be a tricky situation, but the Saints can’t afford to wait again until Day 3 of the draft to select a potential quarterback of the future.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One move they should make: Acquire a star edge rusher
The Buccaneers could have used a star edge rusher when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels extended countless plays against them during the wild-card loss against the Washington Commanders.
Coach Todd Bowles is known for being an aggressive defensive play-caller, but that’s tough to do with an inconsistent pass rush. To Bowles’s credit, he made it work, with Tampa Bay generating 46 sacks last season. It helps to have a solid interior defensive line, with the tandem of Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey combining for 14.5 sacks.
But the Buccaneers need an edge rusher who can command double teams and not allow mobile quarterbacks to extend plays. The position also lacks depth behind Yaya Diaby, who’s probably better suited to be a No. 2 edge rusher in Bowles’s defense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Move Every NFC South Team Should Make in 2025.
