Saints are considered the best NFC South team on paper after the 2024 NFL Draft

Every year, teams enter the season with the lofty goal of winning the Super Bowl. The first step to that goal, however, is winning your division. That gives teams an automatic spot in the playoffs so they can make a run towards a championship. That’s something the New Orleans Saints haven’t experienced in three years: winning the division or going to the playoffs.

The Saints have had three straight mediocre seasons, and while they have come close, they haven’t been able to win the NFC South. There’s a belief that will change in 2024. With the NFC South looking like one of the worst divisions in football, and New Orleans’ recent additions in the draft, the Saints have a chance to reclaim the division throne.

Gary Davenport explained that in a recent post-draft NFL power rankings for Bleacher Report. New Orleans was ranked at 19, but Davenport argued, “The three teams that could realistically vie for the division title all have flaws. The Saints aren't the best of the three teams on paper.”

Saints ranked No. 19 in Bleacher Report’s post-draft power rankings

Davenport’s very next sentence was, “But they are close enough to be in the mix,” meaning that while New Orleans may be best on paper, it isn’t completely washing the other teams in the division, so winning the NFC South won’t necessarily be a cake walk. That seems like a fair assessment.

On paper, the Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all constructed with similar talent levels. That was also evident on the field last season with New Orleans and the Bucs going 9-8, and Atlanta finishing 7-10. With the division being so close, all three teams took different approaches to the offseason to try and create separation.

In the end, they remain pretty close on paper, and will still be viewed as a division without a clear favorite. As always, things will have to be figured out on the field.

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