Oct 3, 2025 Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Oct 3, 2025 Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) during the first quarter at Mercedes-BeOct 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Buccaneers defense will be a major problem, and Drake London will enter elite territory headline NFC South hot takes for 2025
Destin Adams and Kyle CrabbsUpdated:13 hours agoOriginal:13 hours ago
In this story:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers News
New Orleans Saints News
Carolina Panthers News
Atlanta Falcons News
The NFC South isn’t going to be mentioned as one of the best divisions in the NFL anytime soon. But it’s one of only few divisions where it seems plausible at this time that any of the four teams could ultimately win it. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning three straight NFC South championships, that should be on the mind of every other team in the division.
Two of our writers here at A to Z Sports, Destin Adams and Kyle Crabbs, took a close look at each of these teams and came away with some blazing hot takes. Let’s see what they had to say and see if they even agree with each other.
NFC South Hot Takes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hot Take: This will be the Bucs’ worst statistical defense since Todd Bowles joined Tampa Bay
The Buccaneers’ defense is in a tough spot. At CB, they will desperately need one of Zyon McCollum or rookie Benjamin Morrison to develop quickly in training camp to be their number one CB. And their pass rush is as bad as it’s been in a while. They signed Haason Reddick this offseason, but he’s coming off a one sack season after playing 10 games with the New York Jets. The bright spot of the defense will be their incredible DT duo of Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. On paper, this looks like the worst defense the Buccaneers have had since Todd Bowles was hired as their defensive coordinator ahead of the 2019 season. His first year in 2019 has been the worst statistical defense since joining the Buccaneers, but 2025 has all the makings to change that this season. Luckily for him, he just inked an extension ahead of the year, which makes his job seem pretty safe no matter if the defense sinks their season. – Destin Adams
Buying or out on this take: Reluctantly buying
Destin makes some great points here. Todd Bowles is going to revive the “X’s & O’s versus Jimmy’s & Joe’s” debate. How much weight can Todd, who is one of the best defensive playcallers in football, shoulder for himself to cover some of the challenges this group may present to him? Haason Reddick needs to recapture the magic, the young duo of Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish need to be really to roll, Antoine Winfield Jr. must stay healthy and if all of that goes right, this team could be great defensively.
I think it’s far more likely that Tampa Bay is “okay” on defense in 2025. How much does star linebacker Lavonte David continue to cover by himself in the middle? When you sprinkle in the rising tides offensively in both Atlanta and Carolina, it seems like the competition in the NFC South will be more challenging, too. I think Tampa Bay, barring a blitz-heavy approach that thrives with turnovers, will be a middle of the pack scoring defense. Bowles’ defenses have been top-10 in at least one of yards, points, or turnovers every year from 2019 to 2023. In 2024, they ranked 18th, 16th, and 16th, respectively. I think they’ll be similar this year. – Kyle Crabbs
New Orleans Saints
Hot Take: New Orleans finishes with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Forgive me, New Orleans. I like a number of elements of what the Saints have at their disposal this year, including the offensive and defensive line makeup. But you have a rookie coach coming into the season with a giant question mark at quarterback and a lot of aging players with a lot of weight on their shoulders. Due to the cap restrictions of recent years, I don’t think the depth is encouraging across the board, and injuries are an inevitable piece of the puzzle throughout a 17-game season.
That, plus a wide receiver room that has major durability and health questions, could make the ability to play complementary football challenging for the Saints. The arrow is pointing up for the other three teams in the division, plus New Orleans draws the NFC West and the AFC East in 2025, pinning them into matchups with multiple teams that could have major advantages head-to-head with New Orleans. – Kyle Crabbs
