NFC South Draft Needs

                                                                           Carolina Panthers

Draft Needs: Edge Rusher, OL, S, WR

It was a tale of two halves for the Panthers in 2018. After starting the season 6-2, the unthinkable happened. The Panthers lost seven straight games and went from being close to a top ten selection in the draft then the postseason.

The Panthers have some significant holes to fix heading into 2019, and the biggest one is finding a pass rusher. Carolina did not get to the quarterback enough in 2018 with an aging Julias Peppers as their main edge rusher. If the Panthers can nab Rashan Gary or another solid pass rusher in the first round, their defense can again be dynamic.

The Panthers also desperately need help on the offensive line. A big reason Cam Newton struggled in 2018 was his lack of protection and taking big hits in the backfield. Carolina should look to upgrade their offensive line by drafting one if not multiple offensive line pieces throughout the draft.

The Panthers other two significant needs are at safety and wide receiver. The Panthers signed Eric Reid to fill their need at safety mid-season. Nothing against Reid but singing a player to fill a need mid-season usually means the team did not do a great job of filling their roster in the offseason. The Panthers need to prevent this from happening again by drafting a safety.

Carolina also needs to find Newton another weapon. Since Steve Smith left the team years ago, Carolina hasn’t had an elite receiver. They need to try to find another one in this stacked receiver class.

If the Panthers can have a productive NFL draft, they should be able to be a playoff team in 2019. There’s a lot of talent in Carolina, but they have work to do to make that talent pay off.

                                                                           New Orleans Saints

Draft Needs: TE, OT, CB, QB

Nitpicking at the Saints is hard. The NFL’s best record will belong to New Orleans in 2018, and the NFC playoffs will run through the Super Dome.

However, there are a couple of needs that can be filled to help the Saints be even better in 2019 the first being tight end. Ever since the Saints traded away Jimmy Graham, the Saints haven’t found a reliable tight end for Drew Brees to throw to. In this draft, the Saints can do just that. Iowa’s Noah Fant is a perfect fit for the Saints and will likely be available when New Orleans is on the clock. Other possible fits are Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr if he declares and Kentucky’s C.J. Conrad.

Outside of tight end, the Saints could benefit from beefing up their offensive line specifically at the tackle position. New Orleans has seen three of their offensive tackles banged up in 2018 and need to add depth to prevent this being a problem in the future. Look for the Saints to bulk up their protection at some point in the draft.

The Saints also should look to add another cornerback. The Eli Apple trade hasn’t gone as well as expected; thus, the Saints should look to add another outside corner to move Apple back to the slot. They also should look to draft a quarterback. Drew Brees will be heading into his 30’s, backup Teddy Bridgewater will be a free agent, and Taysom Hill seems to be suited better at another position. Thus, trying to find late round gold on a quarterback seems wise for the Saints.

The Saints are in a position where a good draft only will make them better. They are set-up to win for years to come, and a quality draft class can further extend that window.