Offensive Star

Baker Mayfield (QB)

29 years old

Oklahoma

Defensive Star

Antoine Winfield Jr (S)

27 years old

Minnesota

A new season begins again for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After finishing the 2023 season as leaders in the NFC South and surprising the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card, the Bucs are ready to repeat and improve upon what they did last year with Baker Mayfield. The experience gained from the 2023 NFL season is enough for coach Todd Bowles to apply that knowledge in a new year at the helm of the Bucs.

ATTACK. After signing the best season of his NFL career with the Buccaneers after his marathon stint with the Browns, Panthers, and Rams, Baker Mayfield seems to have found his place. One example of this is his 28 TD passes in the more than 4,000 yards recorded last season, which led the Bucs to offer him a contract extension.

DEFENSE. The Buccaneers turned the defensive back into the highest paid at his position in the history of the NFL, which speaks of his great quality and his numbers in the 2023 season, including three interceptions, six sacks, six fumbles, and four fumble, all of which contributed to Winfield Jr.’s status as a star defensive player.

Offensive Star

Kirk Cousins (QB)

36 years old

Michigan

Defensive Star

Jessie Bates III (S)

27 years old

Wake Forest

The Falcons are going through a complete renovation, from their head coach Raheem Morris, their offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, and the arrival of Kirk Cousins at quarterback. Despite suffering a season-ending Achilles injury last year, the Falcons are placing their hope in Cousins to lead the team to the divisional title, to become the team that dethrones the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The new head coach of the Falcons, Raheem Morris, will have a lot of work to do, but he seems to be prepared for it, as he will work hand in hand with the former offensive coordinator of the LA Rams, Zac Robinson.

ATTACK. If there is one offensive player that is giving the Atlanta Falcons a new face, it is Kirk Cousins, who after overcoming a tough Achilles tendon injury is back in the NFL to find his personal revenge and, above all, lead this team back to the playoffs, where they want to establish themselves as the new champions of the NFC South.

DEFENSE. The Atlanta Falcons safety will probably solidify his career n in the NFL this season, since in 2023 he signed what is so far classified as the best season in his career. Bates achieved a record of tackles (132), interceptions (6) and forced fumbles (3) in the 17 games he played with Atlanta, numbers that led him to be one of the best defenders in the NFC.

Offensive Star

Derek Carr (QB)

33 years old

Fresno State

Defensive Star

Cameron Jordan (DE)

35 years old

UC Berkeley

After being sidelined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an identical 9-8 record in 2023, the New Orleans Saints are ready to compete for that divisional title in the NFC South. To do so, they rely on the offensive talent they have, starting with Derek Carr, who had an outstanding second half of the season. However, the former Raiders quarterback was not enough to meet the Saints' goal which they hope to achieve this year. Dennis Allen is one of the head coaches under the most pressure this season; after three years without reaching the playoffs, this team is in need of returning to a postseason and showing that they can compete.

ATTACK. For the Saints to be good on offense, they will need the best version of Derek Carr, a version similar or even better than the one seen at the end of last season. To do so, he will seek to ally himself in the best way with key players on offense such as Rahid Shaheed and Chris Olave, who aim to become Derek Carr's star receivers.

DEFENSE. The defensive player made it clear at the beginning of the year that retirement is not an option for this 2024 season in the NFL, so he will seek to give his best version at the head of a rebuilt New Orleans Saints team that will fight to dethrone the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They know that having a good defense is a fundamental part of achieving that goal

Offensive Star

Bryce Young (QB)

23 years old

Alabama

Defensive Star

Derrick Brown (DT)

26 years old

Auburn

After finishing last in the NFC South in 2023 with a forgettable 2-15 record, the Carolina Panthers team once again has a chance to start again with the arrival of Dave Canales as the new head coach. Canales’ main mission is to get the best out of their offensive talent, among which stands out quarterback Bryce Young, who has been lacking in his first year in the NFL. Head coach Dave Canales, former offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is recognized for his success in getting the best out of his players. An example of this is what he did with Baker Mayfield last year with the Bucs.

ATTACK. Although the 2023 season was not the best for the Alabama native, in 2024 he hopes to find the best version of himself with Dave Canales, in addition to having receivers with great quality like Diontae Johnson. He’ll also have a perimeter that will give him confidence with men like Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, so starting with a good offense is how Bryce Young hopes to have his personal revenge after a first year to forget.

DEFENSE. The $96 million for which the defensive end signed with the Carolina Panthers gives him a vote of confidence from the franchise to be a fundamental piece on the defensive side this season. After becoming the leader in defensive tackles with 103, he aims to repeat a great season in which the 320-pound defensive lineman will try to surpass this mark established in 2023.