The teams of the NFC South are all hoping for good things to come out of the 2012 NFL Draft. After the first round of picks on Thursday, at least two of the four teams in the division have a slightly better idea of how things are going to look in the fall.
NFL Draft Grades: Buccaneers, Panthers Comprise NFC South 1st Round (VIDEO)
Bill Hanstock is a writer, author and Emmy Award-winning producer. He began writing for SB Nation in 2011.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been the big winners of the evening in the division. They traded down to No. 7 in the draft order, but were still able to secure Mark Barron, viewed by many as the top safety in this year's crop of draftees. They were able to trade back into the 1st round to get a second pick, taking running back Doug Martin from Boise State.
The Carolina Panthers did not take a defensive tackle, as expected, going instead with middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, of course, were without a 1st round pick on Thursday night.
Check out the entire analysis and grades for each team in the NFC South in the video below.
For more draft grades, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft or visit SB Nation’s dedicated draft hub.
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