Where Saints Rank in the NFC South After Free Agency

The New Orleans Saints finished the 2025 National Football League season with momentum and have carried it over to the offseason.

New Orleans went 5-4 down the stretch after moving Tyler Shough into the starting lineup. Over that stretch, the Saints took down the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers twice and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once. Two of the Saints' four losses down the stretch were against the Atlanta Falcons, including Week 18. Overall, the Saints finished the regular season in last place in the division at 6-11. The Panthers, Buccaneers and Falcons all finished the season tied at 8-9, but Carolina won the tiebreaker and finished in first place.

Clearly, there weren't massive differences between the four teams in 2025. But what about now?

Saints' Place Among NFC South After First Wave Of Free Agency

Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) rolls out against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

New Orleans has been aggressive this offseason so far. A few of the key additions so far have been running back Travis Etienne Jr., guard David Edwards, tight end Noah Fant, linebacker Kaden Elliss and punter Ryan Wright, among others. The biggest departures so far have been linebacker Demario Davis and cornerback Alontae Taylor. Defensive end Cameron Jordan is still available in free agency is the guy to watch moving forward in free agency.

The Buccaneers have added a few pieces, including Alex Anzalone and Kenneth Gainwell, but lost Mike Evans. Carolina has been aggressive, including a massive $120 million deal with Jaelan Phillips. The Panthers also landed Devin Lloyd and Luke Fortner, among others. The big move for the Falcons so far has been the addition of Tua Tagovailoa. Of the other teams in the division, the Buccaneers arguably are in a worse position, the Panthers have improved and the Falcons are confusing.

With all of that being said, the Saints entered the offseason with three big holes: running back, guard and receiver. They have already filled two of them. The Saints arguably are the best team in the division thanks to a high-end defense and the potential of Tyler Shough. If New Orleans isn't the top team in the division, then it's the Panthers. But Carolina does have some questions at quarterback with Bryce Young. Shough and Baker Mayfield arguably are the top two quarterbacks in the division.

Overall, the Saints are trending in the right direction and we haven't even gotten to the NFL Draft yet. New Orleans still has more moves to make, but it should be considered the top team in the division on paper.