If there's one division across the entire NFL landscape that is more confusing than any other as we get into the meat of the 2026 offseason, it has to be the NFC South.
The NFC South has been the definition of "below average" for the past handful of seasons, with a combined record since 2023 (for all four teams) of 85-119. That means that over the last three seasons, the division's average record is roughly 7-10.
Case in point, the Carolina Panthers won the division last year with an 8-9 record, even though three teams in the division had that exact same record. You get the idea.
The point is, the NFC South doesn't really look that different going into the 2026 season compared to other recent years. How this division gets sorted out remains to be seen, but there are some intriguing wrinkles that have been added this offseason, and that's exactly what we're going to discuss as we rank each team worst to best approaching OTAs.
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4. Atlanta Falcons
As we get into the 2026 offseason, the NFC South becomes more and more difficult to project. The Atlanta Falcons are a great example of why this division is so tough to forecast for the upcoming season.
There is a lot to like about the Falcons based on some of the positive growth we saw last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took one of the worst pass-rushing units in the NFL in 2024 (31st in the league in sacks) to one of the best pass-rushing units in the league in 2025 (2nd-most sacks behind the Broncos).
The upward trajectory of the defense was nice to see, and a big reason why the Falcons wanted their incoming head coach to keep Ulbrich, regardless of who they ended up hiring. Kevin Stefanski obliged, but even with the positive developments defensively, the offense -- specifically the quarterback position -- remains the primary concern with this team going forward.
The Falcons got hot late last season to finish with 8 wins, but it was Kirk Cousins at the quarterback position. They're putting their faith in Michael Penix Jr., and may have to turn to Tua Tagovailoa at some point. They could finish with anywhere between 5-9 wins and I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There was a point last season where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a very respectable 6-2 and looking like they could be one of the last teams standing in the NFC.
And then in the blink of an eye, they went from 6-2 to 7-9 entering the last week of the season, where they beat the Panthers in a low-scoring game. The Bucs scored the most points in the division last year, but they also gave up the most points.
The collapse of epic proportions in the second half of the season was so bad that a lot of folks in the NFL world thought Todd Bowles was going to have to face the music, but that obviously didn't happen. The Buccaneers are running it back in a lot of ways, but there are more question marks with this team than we've seen in quite some time.
Mike Evans is gone, and so is Lavonte David. The Bucs have given a "summer or fall" timeframe on Bucky Irving's return to action this season. Not exactly an inspiring update on one of their most important weapons offensively.
It might seem ridiculous to think this way, but whether or not Rueben Bain can be the type of player in Tampa Bay that we saw when he was at Miami can take this team to another level and vault them back into contention. They need a difference-maker on the defensive front that badly.
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