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NFC South’s first round went well enough to worry Saints

By Dayton Brown

Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) rushes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) rushes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) rushes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. NFC South. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) rushes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. NFC South. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

A trade, a steal, and a stout flex-back make the NFC South that much better.

Question is, will the Saints be good enough to keep up? After a wild first round which saw three different teams trade up to select a QB (something that’s never happened in an NFL draft), one thing was clear. Offensive skill and secondary players were a huge need in the league. Of the 32 first round selections, 18 were either offensive skill players or players in the secondary.

What does this mean, exactly? Well, the obvious: the NFL is a greater pass-happy league year after year. Teams are going to try their best to find a franchise quarterback, surround him with weapons, and bolster their defense to try and stop the pass.

The NFC South was no different. Carolina selected wide receiver-running back hybrid Christian McCaffery 8th overall to give Cam Newton another weapon. 19th overall, Tampa Bay got a steal in tight end OJ Howard, pumping up that explosive offense even more. Atlanta traded up to select Takk McKinley, who will surely pressure many quarterbacks many times in his NFL career. And, of course, the Saints selected the best cornerback in the draft, Marshon Lattimore, 11th overall.

I’m here to delve into the great first round drafting display of the NFC South and see how the Saints stack up. I’ll also gloss over other notable picks by each team

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