2014 NFC South Grades

There is no doubt that Matt Ryan is entrenched as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and at the 2014 National Football League Draft, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff made sure he got some protection for Ryan’s blindside.

The Falcons entered the draft with the sixth overall pick and while it was tempting for them to move up to the first overall selection to take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Atlanta stayed at their spot to nab Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews. Matthews fills a void for the Falcons as he will be anchoring an offensive line that is charged with protecting Ryan. 

Matthews is also projected to have longevity in the NFL as he comes from a long line of football players. Matthews’ father Bruce was a Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise. Matthews’ uncle Clay Jr. played for 19 years in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns and the Falcons. Matthews has two cousins that currently play in the NFL as well. Clay Matthews III is an outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers and Casey Matthews is a linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles. To top it all of Matthews’ grandfather Clay Sr. played in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.

In the fourth round the Falcons drafted Florida State running back Devonta Freeman. The Falcons are looking for some more explosion out of the running back position as they only managed to gain 1,247 yards on the ground last season and hopefully Freeman can provide it. 

Dimitroff and the Falcons did not draft a tight end as they are hopeful that second-year tight end Levine Toilolo will emerge as a suitable replacement for the retired Tony Gonzalez.

The Falcons came into the draft in need of an edge rusher which is something that they failed to address and it will hurt them in the upcoming NFL season. 

Carolina Panthers

Grade: C

Best Pick: Kony Ealy-Defensive End-Missouri

For the first time since 2008, the Carolina Panthers won the NFC South last season. The Panthers drafted their franchise quarterback in 2011 when they used the first overall pick of the draft on Cam Newton. Dave Gettleman took over as the Panthers general manager in 2013 and he has failed to find more play makers at the wide receiver position for Newton to throw the football to.

The Panthers had the 28th overall pick at the 2014 NFL Draft which they actually used on a wide receiver. Instead of taking a run at Marquise Lee or Allen Robinson, Gettleman picked Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin is a possession receiver that lacks explosiveness and the ability to separate from the defender which is something that the Panthers need being that longtime wide receiver Steve Smith was recently released by them.

The second round saw the Panthers select Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy who will add more depth to a potent offensive line. With running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart on the roster, the Panthers are set in the backfield, but Gettleman took Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney in the sixth round. More than likely Gaffney will have to make his impact on special teams as a rookie with the Panthers.

The Panthers missed a golden opportunity to surround Newton with more play makers which is going to limit how good that he and the offense in Carolina can become in 2014.

New Orleans Saints

Grade: B+

Best Pick: Ronald Powell-Outside Linebacker-Florida

Since 2006, the New Orleans Saints have been a perennial Super Bowl contender as the culture has changed in the Bayou led by general manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, and quarterback Drew Brees. Brees doesn’t have a say in the draft process for the Saints, but Loomis and Payton sure do as they used the 2014 NFL Draft as a platform to put more pieces on offense around Brees.

The Saints used their first round pick on Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks. At 5’10”, Cooks is a speedy wide receiver that will not have a problem adapting to the fast track at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. In the second round Loomis selected Nebraska cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste. Jean-Baptiste is 6’3″ as he is the very physical and nasty cornerback that is needed to compete with the big wide receivers in the NFC South such as the Falcons duo of Roddy White and Julio Jones as well as Vincent Jackson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Saints really struck it big in the sixth round when they selected Florida outside linebacker Ronald Powell. Powell had the talent to go much earlier in the NFL Draft but he fell to the Saints in the sixth round. Powell is a big linebacker that can do it all and Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan found himself a new toy.

After this draft the Saints should be the favorites to win the NFC South.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grade: B-

Best Pick: Austin Seferian-Jenkins-Tight End-Washington

The city of Tampa Bay does not have a professional basketball team, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be fielding one in their receiving core. The Bucs already have wide receiver Vincent Jackson who is 6’5″ and at the 2014 National Football League Draft they found a few more trees.

In the first round of the draft the Bucs used the seventh overall pick on 6’5″ wide receiver Mike Evans from Texas A&M. The Bucs used their second round pick on 6’6″ tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins out of the University of Washington. In college Evans never moved around that much which is something that he must now do in the NFL. Sererian-Jenkins did have some off-the-field issues in college, but like Evans he can be a tremendous red zone threat in Tampa.

New Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith has yet to decide whether it will be Mike Glennon or Josh McCown who is his starting quarterback in 2014. But whoever the quarterback will be this season they should not have a problem completing red-zone touchdowns to these big receivers. 

The Buccaneers did miss the boat in passing on an offensive tackle in the first round as they had a glaring need there which could hurt them this season. But under Smith they should still be an improved team.