We’ve talked quite a bit about what the Buccaneers need in this upcoming draft, which players they could draft to fill those needs, etc.
But there’s an entire division for the Bucs to worry about, with the Panthers and the emerging Bryce Young coming off a strong finish to the end of his sophomore season, the Saints dealing with the Carr of it all, and the Falcons being a seemingly sort of complete team (although they sure could use that cap space Kirk Cousins is taking up) except for a few holes here and there on their defense.
So, we’ll get into each team’s potential plans in this upcoming draft and how they could approach it.
New Orleans Saints: To Take a QB, or not to Take a QB
Will they draft Shedeur if he’s there at 9th overall?
Or will they hold off on selecting a franchise quarterback and try to continue to infuse their aging roster with a bit of youth?
Either way, the Saints are still waiting on some medical information about their potential starting quarterback Derek Carr, whose shoulder injury has put his status for the 2025 season in question.
If they chose to do so, they could begin their rebuild (I know, scary word for them) and try to set up whoever their future franchise QB is for success.
That starts with their interior offensive line, but their defense could use an extra pass rusher and a cornerback.
Luckily they’ll have an extra 3rd round pick from Washington they got in the Marshon Lattimore deal, so they could even double dip on some talented offensive linemen early on in the draft, especially if they decide to take Sanders in the 1st round.
Carolina Panthers: Building around Bryce
This is the most exciting team in the division for me (other than the Bucs of course, no I’m not paid to say that) simply because I’m a big fan of Bryce Young and what they’ve done to support him with a decent offensive line.
Their playmakers leave much to be desired, but they should be able to take WR2 at 8th overall (assuming you label Travis Hunter as WR1), whether that be T-Mac, Burden, or some weird wild card we’re not thinking of (like a tight end), or they could hold off and take a wideout in the 2nd round if they want to try to address what’s become an abysmal defense; regardless, Young should have a fun new receiver to throw to and I’m excited to see what they can do in the 2025 season, especially with a good draft.
Atlanta Falcons: Defense, defense, defense
Not that their defense was THAT bad last season, in fact, with Jesse Bates and AJ Terrell, Jr. back there in the secondary, it can be quite good defending the pass.
But by golly that front 7 is void of a whole lot of talent, and that’s likely to be the emphasis for the Dirty Birds in this draft.
Jihaad Campbell has been a popular pick for them, but they could just as easily select a pass rusher or an interior lineman with their early picks, too.
Michael Penix, Jr. hasn’t seen enough playing time to truly make any judgements about him, and they’ve spent so much draft capital bolstering their playmakers I’d be surprised if they selected a wide receiver to pair with Drake London.
But then again, Penix, Jr. was a big shock to everyone too, so what the hell do I know, maybe they’ll get Burden and spend 5 straight 1st round picks on skill positions.
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