NFC South Preseason Power Rankings
By Colton Spaur
No. 2: New Orleans Saints
The NFC South will come down to bitter rivals New Orleans and Atlanta, as both teams are among the best in all of football. The Saints are the reigning division champs, led by veteran quarterback Drew Brees and surrounded by young talent on both sides of the ball. Offensive and defensive rookies of the year Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore quickly emerged as future stars of the NFL last year.
New Orleans enters 2018 as arguably a top-five team in the league. Their depth at wide receiver is a little concerning, but Brees have proven year in and year out that he can produce, no matter the talent around him. The Saint’s defense is much improved, and the additions of rookie lineman Marcus Davenport and veteran safety Kurt Coleman will only bolster the unit.
Rookie corner Marshon Lattimore gave Julio Jones fits in their contest at New Orleans last season, as the rookie corner showed off his physical style (to say the least). When the Saints and Falcons meet, keep your eyes on that matchup, along with running back Alvin Kamara against speedy linebacker Deion Jones.
Marshon Lattimore got it done as a rookie! pic.twitter.com/H4r0EIHy2P
— PFF (@PFF) August 8, 2018
The Saints are structured similarly to the Falcons, with a veteran quarterback, fantastic running back duo, star receiver, and a young defense sprinkled with talent. In a loaded NFC, the Saints should find themselves in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. However, Atlanta is deeper on both sides of the ball, in my opinion, which is why they land at number one on my NFC South Power Rankings.