The NFC South defenses were discussed last season…but it wasn’t always good. How not good, there are three new defensive coordinators in the division, and one team is quitting the co-defensive coordinator experiment from last year.
Last season this division had three teams finish 7-10, while the division leader found a playoff berth at 8-9. Offensively speaking, three of the four teams will have new quarterbacks under center, and the other team will field a second-year quarterback. But this is about the defense.
So what defense is going to be fantasy relevant? Let’s see.
Atlanta Falcons and Ryan Nielsen, Defensive Coordinator
Nielsen replaces Dean Pees as the defensive coordinator. While the Falcons finished strong in their last nine games under Pees, giving up only 19.7 points per game and 314 yards per game, their final standings illuminate how bad they were the first half of the season.
- They ranked 23rd in run defense, with 130.2 rushing yards a game allowed.
- They ranked 23rd in scoring defense, allowing an average of 22.7 points per game.
- They ranked 25th in passing defense, giving up 231.9 passing yards per game.
- They ranked 27th in total defense, allowing 362.1 yards per game.
- They ranked 31st in sacks, 21.
Acquisitions
Including the trade for cornerback Jeff Okudah, the Falcons got more than they lost. Their free agency acquisitions include:
- Safety, Jessie Bates III
- Cornerback, Mike Hughes
- Cornerback, Tre Flowers
- Cornerback, Breon Borders
- Defensive Tackle, David Onyemata
- Defensive End, Calais Campbell
- Defensive End, Joe Gaziano
- Linebacker, Kaden Elliss
- Linebacker, Bud Dupree
- Linebacker, Tae Davis
2023 NFL Defensive Draft Picks
Round 3, Pick 75: Edge, Zach Harrison
Round 4, Pick 113: Cornerback, Clark Phillips III
Round 7, Pick 224: Safety, DeMarcco Hellams
Fantasy Relevance
The Falcons’ defense ranked 30th in fantasy points per game last year.
Richie Grant was the only IDP player in the top 20 in fantasy points. Grant was DB9 averaging 10.5 fantasy points per game.
OFFENSES AGAINST
Quarterbacks averaged 16.9 fantasy points against the Falcons defense. That was ranked 12th last season.
Wide receivers scored an average of 22.2 fantasy points a game against the Falcons. That was the 10th most last season.
Tight ends scored the third most fantasy points against the Falcons defense, 9.4.
On average, running backs scored the least amount of fantasy points per game against the Falcons, averaging 17.7. Although that was more per game than the quarterbacks, it was ranked 14th in the league.
Carolina Panthers Defense and Ejiro Evero Defensive Coordinator
The 2023 season will be Evero’s first season as the defensive coordinator in Carolina. He was the defensive coordinator in Denver last season.
In the first 14 games last season, the Panthers’ defense averaged 2.1 sacks per game, 211.4 pass yards per game, and 89 QBR. However, they finished allowing 227.5 passing yards per game (22nd), holding with 2.1 sacks per game (25th), and quarterbacks averaged 22.5 completions per game (22nd).
Free Agency Acquisitions
Most of the Panthers’ free agency acquisitions were on the offensive side of the ball. They did, however, acquire a few key defensive players.
Safety, Vonn Bell
Defensive Tackle, DeShawn Williams
The Panthers only had five picks in the NFL 2023 Draft. Two of the picks were spent on the defensive side of the ball.
Edge, D.J. Johnson
Safety, Jammie Robinson
Fantasy Relevance
The Panthers’ defense finished as DST9. They averaged 6.9 fantasy points per game. Brian Burns finished as DL9. Frankie Luvu finished as LB7, and the newly acquired Bell was the highest-scoring DB. Bell finished last season as DB25.
OFFENSES AGAINST
The Panthers’ defense gave up the 11th most fantasy points to the quarterback position (17.4). They also gave up the fifth most fantasy points to the wide receiver position (23.8) while only allowing 6.2 fantasy points per game to the tight end position. That was the 10th fewest. Running backs scored an average of 17.6 fantasy points per game. That was hovering around the league average.
New Orleans Saints Defense and Joe Woods Defensive Coordinator
After ranking 32nd in pass rush win rate (29%), 31st in takeaways (14), 29th in third-down conversion rate allowed (41.6%), and 24th in run defense (130.5/game), the Saints have a new defensive coordinator, Joe Woods.
Last season the Saints went with co-defensive coordinators Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard. It was (and will continue to be) head coach Dennis Allen that leads the defensive and is the defensive play caller. Woods worked with Allen in Allen’s first go-around as a head coach. Last season Woods was the defensive coordinator in Cleveland.
Cleveland’s defense finished the season with the following stats:
- Fifth-ranked in passing yards (196.2) v Saints second-ranked (184.4)
- T-7th ranked in passing touchdowns allowed per game (1.2) v Saints third-ranked (1.0)
- 25th in rushing yards allowed (135.0) v Saints 24th (130.5)
- 29th in rushing touchdowns allowed per game (1.3) v Saints 14th ranked (0.8)
- 21st in takeaways per game (1.2) v Saints 31st ranked (0.8)
- T-12th third-down conversions allowed per game (5.0) v Saints 27th ranked (5.7)
It remains to be seen what Woods will bring to the Saints’ defense as Woods and Allen’s strengths and weaknesses appear to mirror one another. But could it work with different players and a familiarity that breeds trust?
Acquisitions
The Saints were busy during free agency on both sides of the ball. The defense retained its ‘foundation’ as Cam Jordan and Tyrann Mathieu remain. The Saints resigned cornerback Isaac Yiadom, linebacker Ty Summers, and defensive end Malcolm Roach. But there was still plenty of movement on the defensive side during free agency.
|
2023 Defensive Gains in FA |
2023 Defensive Losses in FA |
|
Defensive End, Nathan Shepherd |
Defensive End, Marcus Davenport |
|
Defensive Tackle, Khalen Saunders |
Defensive End, Kentavius Street |
|
Cornerback, Lonnie Johnson |
Defensive Tackle, Shy Tuttle |
|
Safety, Johnathan Abram |
Defensive Tackle, David Onyemata |
|
|
Linebacker, Kaden Elliss |
|
|
Safety, Justin Evans |
2023 NFL Draft
The Saints had seven picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The picks include the first-round pick they acquired from the Denver Broncos in exchange for head coach Sean Payton. Three of the Saints’ seven picks in the 2023 NFL Draft went to the defensive side.
Round 1, Pick 29: Defensive Tackle, Bryan Bresee
Round 2, Pick 40: Edge, Isaiah Foskey
Round 5, Pick 146: Safety, Jordan Howden
Fantasy Relevance
For IDP and defensive team considerations, the Saints were meh. The defense finished as DST16 averaging 9.8 fantasy points per game. Only two defensive players finished in the top 20 for IDP fantasy purposes. Jordan finished ad DL16 with 9.8 fantasy points per game, and Mathieu finished as DB19.
Offenses playing against the defense didn’t have a fantasy windfall—especially tight ends, who averaged the fewest fantasy points against the Saints’ defense (3.8). Quarterbacks averaged 14.9 fantasy points per game (12th fewest), and wide receivers averaged the ninth fewest fantasy points per game (19.3). Running backs did okay, averaging 17.0 fantasy points per game which was almost mid-range.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last season the Bucs ran out co-defensive coordinators Kacy Rodgers and Larry Foote even though head coach Todd Bowles would be calling the defensive plays. That appeared to be a lot of voices. This season both Rodgers and Foote are there. Officially their titles are slightly different.
Rodgers is currently listed as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator. And Foote is listed as inside linebackers coach/passing game coordinator. This will be Rodgers’s first season as run game coordinator and Foote’s first season as passing game coordinator.
The Buccaneers experienced regression in unexpected areas last season. And although regression is expected, it is never welcomed. The Buccaneers once feared run defense (third in 2021 in rush yards allowed with 91.6) regressed in 2022. The run defense fell to 15th last season, allowing 121.1 rushing yards per game.
Another tumble occurred in the takeaway department. The Buccaneers went from third in 2021 with 1.9 to 24th in 2022 with 1.1. They also finished last in passing touchdowns allowed last season, giving up a league-high 1.8 passing touchdowns per game.
In other defensive relevant stats from last season, the Buccaneers were 20th in third down conversions per game (5.2) and ninth in passing yards allowed per game (208.8). And even though they were last in passing touchdowns allowed, they were ninth in passing yards allowed per game (208.8).
Acquisitions
The biggest take from free agency and the Buccaneers’ acquisitions were the players they resigned and the ones that got away.
The Buccaneers resigned:
- Pat O’Connor, Defensive End
- Deadrin Senat, Defensive Tackle
- Anthony Nelson, OLB
- Lavonte David, ILB
- Jamel Dean, Cornerback
The Buccaneers lost:
- Genard Avery, Defensive End
- Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Defensive Tackle
- Sean Bunting, Cornerback
- Mike Edwards, Safety
- Keanu Neal, Strong Safety
The Buccaneers acquired:
- Greg Gains, Defensive Tackle
- Ryan Neal, Strong Safety
The Buccaneers attempted to make up some ground in the 2023 NFL Draft. They had eight total picks. The Buccaneers used six of the eight picks on the defensive side of the ball.
Round 1, P 9: Calijah Kancey, Defensive Tackle
Round 3, P 82: YaYa Diaby, Edge
Round 5, P153: SirVocea Dennis, Linebacker
Round 6, P181: Josh Hayes, Defensive Back
Round 6, P196: Josh Ramirez, Edge
It will be a task to replace the production of Neal, Nunez-Roches, and Bunting. But the resigning and the 2023 draft picks are a good start.
Fantasy Relevance
For those of us who counted on the Buccaneers’ defense once again finishing in the top 10, 2022 was a major disappointment. The defense finished as DST26. They had, on average, 2.2 fewer fantasy points per game. The Buccaneers’ defense averaged 6.1 fantasy points per game last season.
For IDP players, the Buccaneers had two players who finished in the top 20. As expected, they were both linebackers. Devin Smith finished as LB14 averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game. David averaged 12.1 fantasy points per game and finished as LB18.
Offenses Against the Buccaneers’ Defense
For fantasy purposes, the Buccaneers’ run defense was a bend, don’t break. While they gave up the 15th most rushing yards, they allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to the running back position. Running backs averaged 15.5 fantasy points against the Buccaneers’ defense in 2022.
The receiving options fared much better against the Buccaneers. The wide receivers averaged 22.4 fantasy points against the Buccaneers (ninth most), while tight ends averaged 8.8 fantasy points (seventh most). The quarterbacks were almost mid-range, averaging 16.0 fantasy points, which was 15th.
Wrap Up
Seasons change, as do our fantasy fortunes. Stay with Razzball; we will keep you updated on your fantasy needs.
