ATLANTA _ The gap between the Saints and their NFC South challengers remained too large to close for 2020 once Drew Brees decided he would play another season. The betting market believes the Bucs have pulled even but that's an overreaction to the reunion of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. The South's best quarterback and most complete roster will add up to another division title for New Orleans, even if the margin isn't six games for a third straight season.
But the NFL draft provides hope that the Falcons and the Bucs can pull a little closer to the Saints. (There's little hope for the Panthers, who are rebuilding). Hitting on a couple prospects, especially at important positions, can be the difference between a playoff wild card _ there's an extra one this season _ and another year out of the playoffs.
We can't know how the former college players drafted over the past three days will perform as professionals. We can look at how the South's teams addressed their needs in the top part of the draft and what that might mean for 2020.
