Perhaps the worst division in the NFL, the NFC South could end up fielding a few solid teams in the 2025 NFL Season. Let's power-rank the division here. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers again won the division in the 2024 NFL Season, going 10-7 and holding off the Atlanta Falcons at the end.
The Bucs did lose former offensive coordinator Liam Coen to a head coaching job, and there are other teams like the Falcons and Carolina Panthers who could end up being an under-the-radar breakout team in 2025.
While Tampa Bay is probably going to be the clear-cut favorite, it would not shock me to see a new team win this division. Let's power-rank the teams as the NFL Draft gets closer.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking the shaky NFC South as NFL Draft gets closer
4. New Orleans Saints
I really have no clue what the New Orleans Saints are trying to do, and I am not sure GM Mickey Loomis knows, either. This team is signing players in free agency and handing out contracts with money that I am not sure how they keep finding.
Kellen Moore is their new head coach, and this is his first head coaching job. Derek Carr returns as the QB in a bit of a weird move. Overall, it's hard to find a pulse for the Saints - they need to tear everything down but seem to be prolonging whatever window they think they are in. New Orleans is last in our NFC South power rankings.
3. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers did see some improvement in Bryce Young after his benching during the 2024 NFL Season, and it does seem like Carolina could have something brewing with their offense. They again invested a good bit of money into the free agency market, proving once again that GM Dan Morgan wants to get this team right.
The Panthers are still missing a true difference-maker at wide receiver, but they do have a high enough first-round pick this year to land someone like Tet McMillan or Luther Burden III, depending on what flavor they'd like.
I am not sure they are a playoff team just yet, but Carolina isn't a total embarrassment and comes in at no. 3 in our NFC South power rankings.
2. Atlanta Falcons
I truly like the Atlanta Falcons to be a competent, winning football team in 2025. Michael Penix Jr is going to be their starting QB, and they arrived at Penix in an odd way, as they already had Kirk Cousins on the roster.
Cousins ended up bottoming-out in 2024, so he was benched, but right now, the Falcons indeed to keep him on their roster unless a team comes calling wanting to trade for him. Atlanta does sport a very good roster on offense but have had some defensive struggles in recent years.
I trust Raheem Morris to get this team on the right track. While they may not make the postseason, the Falcons will finish around an 'average' level in 2025 with promise for the future.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the reigning division champions and have the best QB in the division at the moment, so they come in at no. 1 in our NFC South power rankings. Their big goal this offseason was likely trying to re-sign Chris Godwin, and they did just that.
The Bucs aren't a great team by any means, but they're rock solid and saw Mayfield have the best year of his career in 2024. Mayfield seems to have found a long-term home with the Bucs, and they are still an offense-first team.
Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded head coach, so if they can figure that unit out a bit more next season, Tampa could make a ton of headway in the NFC.