The teams in the NFC South were part of one of the toughest divisions in football in 2008 and all of them needed some help at various positions throughout their team. The Saints got some much needed help on defense as did the Panthers. The Buccaneers got their quarterback of the future while the Falcons worked some magic before the draft (by getting tight end Tony Gonzalez) then went and shored up some problems on defense.
The following is a look how each team in the NFC South drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft with draft grades for each team.
Atlanta Falcons-The Falcons made a trade for Gonzalez right before the draft making sure that they took care of their tight end position without having to worry about it in the draft. Taking defensive tackle Peria Jerry was big as was the acquisition of safety William Moore. Lawrence Sidbury Jr. might end up being the steal of their draft if he develops into the kind of player that they hope that he will. Grade B+
Carolina Panthers-The Panthers needed some holes filled in this draft, particularly on defense, and they managed to fill a few even though they didn’t have a single first round pick. Their first pick in the draft. Florida State defensive end Everette Brown should help them out immediately. Duke Robinson was their steal of the draft while they should get some good production out of the defensive backs that they selected. Grade B
New Orleans Saints-The Saints ended up with just four picks but they got the most out of those picks helping their defense, in particular their secondary, out immensely. With their first pick in the draft they got Ohio State cornerback Michael Jenkins a player that they needed desperately. They also grabbed safety Chip Vaughn in the fourth round to help themselves out at the safety position. While they didn’t have a ton of picks, they did manage to take care of some pressing issues. Grade: C
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Tampa Bay managed to nab their quarterback of the future with Josh Freeman and this alone helped make their draft a decent one. Getting some youth on the defensive line is also a big plus so defensive tackle Roy Miller and defensive end Kyle Moore should help out a lot. Wide receiver Sammie Stroughter may be a real find for them as well. Grade: B
By Bryan Dietzler
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