What can we say, we’re optimists. When surveying the managing editors at Falcons Wire (Matt Urben), Panthers Wire (Anthony Rizzuti), and Bucs Wire (River Wells) for our final grades on each team’s 2023 draft class, every single analyst graded a B or B-minus.
But there isn’t a better time for believing than the offseason, when even the most bereaved and beset-upon between us are beckoned by a beacon of brilliance — or at least the beginning of belief.
With that out of our system, here’s a quick look at each NFC South team’s overall draft grade, including the New Orleans Saints:
Atlanta Falcons
B-minus. Atlanta’s draft will mostly be judged on the success or failure of first-round pick Bijan Robinson. Beyond that, it’s a relatively small draft class. Fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III is an exciting option, and second-rounder Matthew Bergeron has a chance to start at left guard as a rookie. — Matt Urben, Falcons Wire
Carolina Panthers
B. Putting aside the elephant in the room for a second, the Panthers addressed some of their biggest needs beyond the first round. They added a potential freak in wideout Jonathan Mingo, an athletic pass rusher in DJ Johnson and a promising offensive lineman in Chandler Zavala. Heck, even safety Jammie Robinson was a steal in the fifth round. But this draft class, obviously, hinges on what quarterback Bryce Young ultimately becomes. — Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire
New Orleans Saints
B. I wasn’t a fan of defensive tackle Bryan Bresee pre-draft, and I’m still holding reservations on him to see how his health holds up during a season with many games played on artificial turf. But I loved the defensive end Isaiah Foskey and running back Kendre Miller picks, and late-round picks like defensive back Jordan Howden and wide receiver A.T. Perry could play big roles for this time depending on the availability of their veteran teammates. The Saints did a good job addressing their needs. — John Sigler, Saints Wire
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
B-minus. They had quite a few needs, and it addressed the needs at edge rusher and on the interior line with picks like edge rusher YaYa Diaby and left guard Cody Mauch. But one could argue the team’s two biggest needs were left tackle and slot cornerback, and Tampa Bay did not address either need in the draft. As a result, the Bucs are set to move right tackle Tristan Wirfs over to left tackle , and they may wish they had gone left tackle in Round 1 if that move ends up making Wirfs a worse player overall. — River Wells, Bucs Wire
