The competitiveness of the NFC South looks to have been vastly overrated as we conclude the first half of the 2019 season. The Saints and Panthers appear to be good, while the Falcons and Buccaneers look like two of the worst teams in the entire league.
After handing out our midseason offensive awards on Saturday, here’s our NFC South defensive awards at the midway point.
Best LB: Luke Kuechly
The consistent presence of Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly over the middle has been a key reason Carolina’s pass defense is currently top ten in passing yards allowed. Kuechly has 78 tackles (5 TFL), six passes defended and two interceptions in eight games. There are some great linebackers in the NFC South, including Lavonte David and Deion Jones, but Kuechly is a generational talent.
Best EDGE: Shaquil Barrett
The 26-year-old Barrett leads the league with 10.5 sacks, while recording four forced fumbles and an interception this season. The Bucs haven’t been good against the pass in 2019, but are the No. 1 defense in terms of rushing yards allowed per game. Tampa Bay has been wildly inconsistent this year, but Barrett is a steady presence off the edge that the team can count on each week.
Best DT: Grady Jarrett
Jarrett has been one of the league’s top defensive tackles in any number of metrics this season. ESPN’s pass rush win rate has consistently put him at or near the top, while Pro Football Focus just ranked Jarrett as the No. 4 interior lineman. He has three of the Falcons’ league-low seven team sacks. Don’t let Atlanta’s putrid defense fool you, though, Jarrett is an elite interior lineman.
Best CB: James Bradberry
Bradberry rarely gets the credit he deserves, but has quietly had a very good first half — with three interceptions, seven passes defended, one sack and 35 tackles. The Panthers defense has been somewhat vulnerable against the run, but above average defending the pass. Bradberry isn’t exactly a shut-down corner, but he has been the best in the division through the first eight games.
Best Safety: Marcus Williams
The Saints’ defensive resurgence comes from good player development over the past few seasons. Marcus Williams is the perfect example of this, as the third-year free safety is having a breakout year. He has 27 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defended, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown in 2019. New Orleans got by without Drew Brees because of a vastly-improved defense led by young players like Williams.
Biggest disappointment: Falcons Defense
There were so many good options here that we felt the need to spread the blame and give Atlanta’s entire defense — except the aforementioned Grady Jarrett — our biggest disappointment award. The Falcons defensive line has just seven sacks, the lowest total in the entire league. However, the secondary has been just as bad. Put it all together and you have second-worst defense in terms of points allowed per game (31.2), and the 27th-ranked unit in total yards allowed per game, with 379.5.
