A Look Around the NFC South on SB Nation

A weekly look at the top stories being discussed on the other three NFC South blogs on SB Nation.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Bucs Nation)

• Brady’s heir apparent? The Bucs selected Kyle Trask, quarterback out of Florida with the 64th pick in the NFL Draft. A second round QB selection means Tampa believes Trask could be, at the very least, a serviceable starter in the league. Here is a very interesting film study of Trask’s strengths and areas of improvement.

• Analysts grade the Buccaneers’ 2021 NFL Draft. It is always a fun, if futile exercise to grade a team’s NFL draft haul before any of the selected players have logged a single minute in an NFL game. But according to projections of how these players might fare in the league, here’s how pundits rated the Bucs’ 2021 draft.

• Are the Bucs now the favorites to win the NFC South or is it still the Saints? This is a very interesting read, as Bailey Adams from Bucs Nation goes toe-to-toe with former CSC writer John Sigler from Saints Wire (USA Today) about which team should be favored going into next season.

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Atlanta Falcons (via The Falcoholic)

• The Falcons are in “Win Now” mode, says head coach Arthur Smith. With the 4th overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Falcons selected tight end Kyle Pitts, not a quarterback as many had suspected could be the case. According to new Falcons head coach, this means that Atlanta will be looking to win immediately with Ryan, not rebuild.

• Is placing so much faith in Matt Ryan a mistake? Atlanta’s new regime led by Terry Fontenot is banking on Matt Ryan not falling off a cliff. Which could happen, unless he pulls a Tom Brady and stays at a very high level. Going into his 14th NFL season, Ryan is no sure bet anymore.

• The Falcons look to keep Calvin Ridley. Hayden Hurst? Not so much. Atlanta picked up the wide receiver’s fifth-year option. With Julio Jones on the downside of his career, Ridley is widely expected to be the Falcons’ next number one receiver. On the other hand, with Kyle Pitts now in town, Hurst’s days in ATL are likely numbered.

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Carolina Panthers (via Cat Scratch Reader)

• CSR grades the Panthers’ NFL Draft. Just over a week after the draft is always a good time to gauge whether a team addressed its most pressing needs. How did Carolina do?

• Cornerback Jaycee Horn has a chance to be an elite NFL corner. What did CSR think of the Panthers’ first round pick? Horn, a cornerback out of South Carolina and son of former Saints great Joe Horn, was selected with the 8th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Walker Clement recaps the pick and where he had Horn ranked before the draft.

• Terrace Marshall could become a lethal downfield weapon for the Panthers. The former LSU wide receiver was reunited with his one-year passing coordinator at LSU Joe Brady, who is now the offensive coordinator in Carolina. Marshall, who was selected with the 59th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft was considered a first-round talent but fell slightly due to his injury history. In this piece, Marshall’s measurables compared to similarly-sized NFL wide receivers bodes well for his future in the league.

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