Draft Needs: NFC South

No division was collectively worse than the NFC South was in 2014, but last season's struggles have translated to a pretty exciting offseason thus far. 

The Atlanta Falcons hired a new head coach, the New Orleans Saints shipped star tight end Jimmy Graham off to Seattle, the Carolina Panthers parted ways with the franchise's all-time leading rusher and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been busy figuring out what to do with the No. 1 overall pick.

Let's take a look at some players the NFC South teams may be targeting in the draft. 

NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

Carolina Panthers

Positions of need: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, defensive end, safety

The Panthers struggled without Greg Hardy in 2014 and showed zero interest in re-signing him this offseason, so drafting an elite pass-rusher should be high on their list. Finding one at No. 25 could be difficult, though, and could require them to trade up. They may have better luck using their first-round pick on an offensive tackle or wide receiver.

Elsewhere, Carolina could use a future replacement for aging strong safety Roman Harper and some additional depth at running back. The team signed cornerback Charles Tillman earlier in April, but at 34 years old and coming off a season-ending triceps injury, he isn't a long-term solution at the position.

Potential draft targets: Miami's Ereck Flowers, Stanford's Andrus Peat and Louisiana State's La'el Collins could be available when the Panthers pick at No. 25. 

At receiver, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong or Miami's Phillip Dorsett would be a nice complement to last year's first-round pick, Kelvin Benjamin.

Atlanta Falcons

Positions of need: Defensive end, cornerback, running back, offensive guard

The Falcons are in desperate need of a talented pass-rusher after finishing 30th in the league with 22 sacks last season. Fortunately, they'll have plenty to choose from in this year's draft. Though they already have two young, talented cornerbacks in Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford, finding additional secondary help should also be high on their list.

With Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers both gone, Atlanta will need to find someone capable of carrying the load on the ground. The release of Justin Blalock also leaves them with an opening at left guard.

Potential draft targets: Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Florida's Dante Fowler, Clemson's Vic Beasley and Kentucky's Alvin "Bud" Dupree are among the pass-rushing options available. 

If the Falcons choose to use the No. 5 overall pick on a cornerback, Michigan State's Trae Waynes, LSU's Jalen Collins or Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson could be of interest. 

New Orleans Saints

Positions of need: Pass-rusher, wide receiver, offensive line, cornerback, inside linebacker

The Saints overhauled their roster this offseason, trading tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills, replacing longtime running back Pierre Thomas with C.J. Spiller, and signing cornerback Brandon Browner. There is still work to be done on both sides of the ball, though, beginning with finding a pass-rusher.

New Orleans is also in need of a dynamic playmaker to replace Graham and Stills, and could look at adding a slot corner or two in the middle rounds.

Potential draft targets: Clemson's Vic Beasley, Nebraska's Randy Gregory and Kentucky's Alvin "Bud" Dupree would all be great fits for Rob Ryan's defense. 

Alabama's Amari Cooper, Ohio State's Devin Smith and Arizona State's Jaelen Strong are among the receivers the Saints could consider.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Positions of need: Quarterback, offensive line, defensive end, wide receiver, cornerback

Much of the talk surrounding the Bucs this offseason has centered around their need for a quarterback, but the team has several other glaring needs heading into the draft. Anthony Collins turned out to be a big bust, so they will need to find a new starting left tackle. Releasing Michael Johnson also left them thin at defensive end. 

Beyond quarterback, offensive tackle and defensive end, the Bucs could look at adding a slot receiver and cornerback depth.

Potential draft targets: The widespread expectation is that the Bucs will select Florida State's Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick, but drafting Oregon's Marcus Mariota isn't out of the question. 

Winston's former FSU teammate, center Cameron Erving, would be a logical target as a late first- or early second-round pick. Oregon's Jake Fisher and Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings would also be good fits along the offensive line.