Draft Happenings Part 2

NFC South

Atlanta: LB Sean Weatherspoon is the type of player who will become a leader on defense and he fills a huge need to boot. 2nd Rd pick DT Corey Peters will give some needed beef on the inside in case last year's #1 pick DT Peria Jerry doesn't return 100% from injuries. All of their other picks appear to be reaches to fill need spots. However, this team still looks like it will lack the pass rush needed to win the division. Sure they upgraded their secondary with Dunta Robinson but it's a moot point without a pass rush. An extra second or two is all Drew Brees needs to pick you apart. Make no mistake, New Orleans is still the team to beat in the South.
Fantasy Implication... A slight bump for the Atlanta Defense
NFL... Probably not explosive enough to be more than an outside wild card candidate.

Carolina: This was an important draft for the Panthers as they have improved in the present while keeping an eye on the future. Matt Moore will be pushed by rookie QB's Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike. Both QB's fell to a point in the draft where the value was too high for Carolina to pass on them. Clausen was ranked by some as a Top 5 prospect in the draft.

Another sore spot this team has been unsuccessfully trying to fill for years has been a WR to take pressure off Steve Smith. They got great value on both Brandon LaFell and David Gettis... however WR/QB Armanti Edwards could be one of the most controversial picks in the draft. How will they utilize him? We know there will be a lot of pressure to justify trading a 2nd round pick in 2011 to acquire him. One thing that national pundits have underestimated is Edwards' popularity with local fans. Name me one 3rd Rd pick who will sell as many jerseys as Edwards. You can't. He's a cult hero in the area. On Charlotte sports radio, everyone was talking about Armanti Edwards, not Jimmy Clausen.

Lost in all of this are two steals on defense in DE Eric Norwood and DE Greg Hardy who were very productive in college. With all of this, Carolina had one of the most exciting drafts this season. It's a draft that took them from a 7-9 team to a legit wild card candidate.
Fantasy... WR Steve Smith comes back to fantasy relevance now that he has assistance
NFL... Solid wild card candidate with a favorable schedule & a good chance they have their franchise QB on the roster although we're not sure who that is yet.

New Orleans: There are so many reasons to think New Orleans will have a down year. It's tough to repeat in the NFL because you take everyone's best shot. Drew Brees could be struck by the Madden Curse. Plus teams just don't repeat in the NFC South. The Saints haven't lost much on offense and they add a possible stud on the O-Line in Charles Brown plus an intriguing TE in former Univ. of Miami basketball player Jimmy Graham. They have definitely gotten weaker on defense as they lost depth at LB. Will they re-sign Darren Sharper who was up for Defensive Player of the Year? If not, then that opens another big hole.
Fantasy... TE Jeremy Shockey is no longer draftable.
NFL... Still too proficient on offense although the gap is closing.

Tampa Bay: The Bucs got a lot better in the draft. Unfortunately, they still have far to go. They improved their run defense with Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. And they upgraded their passing game by drafting WR's Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. They will still get shredded by opposing QB's and their offensive line is lacking but this team will leave opponents knowing they have just been in a fight. It's just too bad the Bucs won't win many of the fights.
Fantasy... The additions at WR should make QB Josh Freeman draftable as a backup.
NFL... Better, but their ceiling is 6 wins.

Overall: New Orleans will overcome the distractions and repeat while Carolina and Atlanta scrap for what should be a ridiculously competitive wild card race in the NFC.