2016 NFL Draft grades: Winners and losers in the NFC South

The 2016 NFL Draft is in the books, and the analysts' reactions are in for the efforts of teams from the NFC South.

After three consecutive disappointing seasons, Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn was focused on acquiring the players he needs to effectively execute his defensive scheme. The Falcons also needed interior line help, and with Devin Hester's age and recent injury history making his future with the team far from certain, a return specialist was also something the team needed to consider. The Falcons only had five picks to work with initially, having forfeited their fifth-round selection as part of the punishment handed down by the league for the fake crowd noise scandal and traded away their sixth-rounder to acquire left guard Andy Levitre prior to the start of the 2015 season.

The Carolina Panthers are coming off of a stellar season, finishing 15-1 and rolling through the playoffs all the way to the Super Bowl. Still, the team had some significant needs heading into the draft, including the cornerback position. The team had initially applied the franchise tag to Josh Norman, but in a surprise move, rescinded the tag the week before the draft to make Norman an unrestricted free agent. The Panthers also needed safety help, and adding an offensive tackle and some youth along the defensive line wouldn't hurt, either.

The New Orleans Saints had a lot of needs on both sides of the ball heading into the draft, but a stout defensive tackle who could stop the run and disrupt from the interior had to be a priority. After releasing veteran receiver Marques Colston this offseason, adding a quality target for Drew Brees was certainly an option, and the team definitely needed help in the secondary.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got their franchise quarterback in the draft last year, and they re-signed running back Doug Martin this offseason. They're pretty set at receiver with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, so in the 2016 draft, they needed to focus on the other side of the ball. Cornerback and safety had to be priorities, and adding a dynamic defensive end to help pressure opposing quarterbacks needed to be a focus for the Bucs, too.

Analysts were all over the place for the Falcons' picks. Strong safety was a huge need for Atlanta after it released veteran William Moore this offseason and first-rounder Keanu Neal fits Dan Quinn's defensive ideal at the position. The addition of speedy linebacker Deion Jones in the second round, especially after swapping picks with the Houston Texans and picking up a sixth-round pick in the process, was a good value. They got the second-best tight end in this draft in the third round with Stanford's Austin Hooper. Still, analysts feel like Neal was a reach with the 17th overall pick, and their failure to address the pass rush impacted their grades.

The Saints needed interior defensive line help and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville is a great fit for the team. Wide receiver Michael Thomas out of Ohio State is a great weapon for Drew Brees. The other Buckeye the Saints added, safety Vonn Bell, confused some people because New Orleans has Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro already on the roster, but Bell was a great value in the third round. Adding another defensive tackle in the fourth round, David Onyemata, was also a little confusing as the Saints still have other needs.

The Bucs snagged cornerback Vernon Hargreaves with their first-round pick, and swapping picks with the Chicago Bears to do so made Hargreaves a better value. Tampa Bay also managed to land outside linebacker Noah Spence in the second round. Spence is arguably a first-round caliber talent but slipped out of the first round, and the Bucs' front seven is instantly better with the addition. Tampa Bay also traded up in the second round to draft a kicker, Roberto Aguayo out of Florida State, and while Aguayo is genuinely a great kicker, trading up to get him with the No. 59 overall pick seems excessive.

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