The NFC South was dominated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for years, but in 2025, things went off the rails for Tampa, and they actually lost out on the division to the Carolina Panthers, who finished 8-9. At this point, it's really hard to tell which team is the favorite as the offseason rolls on.
All four teams could finish between 7-10 wins in 2026, and we could see another instance of this division coming down to some tiebreakers, but I do believe there one team that is trending upward more than the other three teams right now.
Let's dive into some NFC South power rankings following the main wave of NFL Free Agency.
Updated NFC South rankings following NFL Free Agency
4. Atlanta Falcons
As of right now, the Atlanta Falcons have the least-obvious quarterback situation in the division. Tua Tagovailoa was signed, and Michael Penix Jr is recovering from his 2025 knee injury. Both quarterbacks are left-handed and can be fine. Ideally, Atlanta may be hoping that Penix comes back from this injury, dominates how he can in the offseason, and cements himself as a franchise passer in 2025.
If that is the case, Atlanta could win the NFC South, but this major issue is the one thing holding them back right now.
3. Carolina Panthers
I just do not see it with the Carolina Panthers. Sure, they won the division in 2025, but they could have the third-best quarterback in the division right now. The roster did get better in the offseason with the additions of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, but no matter how much talent this team adds, it's all going to come down to Bryce Young, who was largely mediocre in 2025, yet played the best football of his career.
I believe what we saw in 2025 is about how good the Panthers can be with Young under center.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's another year of a new offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and long-time wide receiver Mike Evans is now no longer in the mix. It's been an iffy offseason for Tampa, but they do have the best passer in the division and have been able to win this division many times before in recent years.
Given the consistent coaching change we've seen on offense, it's going to be hard for this team to find some stability on that side of the ball. It again feels like Tampa ia going to hover around 8-10 wins in 2026.
1. New Orleans Saints
I personally love what the New Orleans Saints are building and believe this team is the best in the NFC South right now. Tyler Shough played his tail off down the stretch during his rookie season, and the Saints' defense ended up being a sneaky (but major) improvement.
New Orleans added around Shough by signing Travis Etienne and David Edwards, two players who are arguably top-10 at their respective positions. The offense now looks rather complete, and the defense was holding their own in 2025.
We'll get to a point with this team where we'll struggle to find a notable roster weakness. The Saints are No. 1 in our NFC South power rankings.