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The NFL announced Monday that 33 former players will get to announce picks during this week’s draft.

For the most part, the retired players will announce second-round picks. The New Orleans Saints don’t have a second-round pick, so Willie Roaf, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, will announce their third-round pick.

Former tight end Alge Crumpler will announce Atlanta’s second-round pick. Retired defensive end Mike Rucker will announce Carolina’s second-round pick.

Dexter Jackson will announce Tampa Bay’s second-round pick. To be clear, that’s the Dexter Jackson that was a safety and was the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XXXVII and not the wide receiver by the same name who was taken by the Bucs in the second-round in 2008, but didn’t last long.

With the preseason over, roster cuts already taking place and the start of the regular season only days away, we were able to cover all sorts of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Kent (Melbourne): Pat- Should the Bucs be looking for a running back with speed. Do you think they could use a change of pace back.

Pat Yasinskas: If I were them, I'd be keeping a close eye on what New Orleans does with Joique Bell. If he's available, grab him.

Jacob (Michigan): Any surprise to Kyle Moore and Tyrone Mckenzie being cut?

Pat Yasinskas: More surprised at McKenzie. He was real popular with his teammates, but I guess coaches didn't share the same view.

coached (couched): Can Cam win the job? And remain starter?

Pat Yasinskas: He already won the job. They'll keep him as the starter unless he gets hurt or is just flat-out horrible. There may be some ups and downs, but they're prepared for that and just want to see him grow as the season goes on.

Eliot (NY, NY): Do you think Matt Ryan will put up career numbers or do you think 'taking the gloves off' is too big of a step?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, I think they really will let him do more this year. Plus, he has more to work with.

Nate (Anchorage, AK): Armanti Edwards? I know you say it's a long shot, but what makes you say it at all? Where does he stand right now?

Pat Yasinskas: He needs to catch the football. Like I said, it's a long shot. They've got a high draft pick invested in him. But it's shaping up to be like Dexter Jackson (the receiver, not the safety) with the Buccaneers. But Hurney probably gives Edwards one more year.

Brock (Boulder, CO): Is Jacquizz Rodgers going to be a factor this year?

Pat Yasinskas: Yes, you'll see him worked in as a change-of-pace back. They're hoping he can be what Norwood never could become because of the injuries.

Dwayne (Who Dat Nation): I think it would be in the SAINTS best interest to place Chris Ivory on PUP. That way, Ingram, Thomas, Sproles, and Bell can carry the running game for the first six weeks. In week seven they'd get Ivory back with fresh legs for the stretch run. Agreed?

Pat Yasinskas: I suspect that's how it will play out.

Daniel (Nashville): Who ends up with more yards rushing Ingram or Thomas?

Pat Yasinskas: Ingram.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco took a look at the last five years and ranked all 32 teams on how they’ve fared in the draft.

The NFC South did very well in this evaluation with three teams landing in the top 10. The New Orleans Saints were No. 2 (behind only Green Bay), the Atlanta Falcons were No. 5 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in at No. 10.

The Carolina Panthers came in at No. 24 and I think things might have been skewed by last year’s 2-14 record. But we’ll come back to the Panthers in a bit.

Let’s start with the Saints and, by coincidence, this survey’s window opens with the 2006 draft. Say what you want about Reggie Bush, who was taken at No. 2 overall, but I don’t think it’s fair to label him a bust because the Saints are happy with what they’ve gotten out of him. They think they’ll still get more good things out of him and that’s why it looks like they’ll find a way to keep him. But 2006 also brought guard Jahri Evans and receiver Marques Colston in later rounds. Those two represent why New Orleans is near the top of this list. The Saints have been pretty good at hitting on first-round picks (Malcolm Jenkins and Sedrick Ellis pop to mind), but they’ve been great at finding impact players in the middle and late rounds.

Atlanta’s had 42 picks in the last five years and 26 of them are still with the team. That’s not a bad number, since general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith have been responsible for only three of those drafts. They hit a home run when they got quarterback Matt Ryan in their first draft and most of the other picks from that draft have worked out nicely, although the jury is still out on left tackle Sam Baker. The thing that often gets overlooked is the Falcons also got defensive quarterback Curtis Lofton in that same 2008 draft and he’s been a very steady force at middle linebacker. The Falcons have landed some other solid picks like safeties Thomas DeCoud and William Moore outside of the first round. The jury still is out on defensive tackle Peria Jerry, the first-round pick in 2009 because his career was disrupted by a knee injury.

Tampa Bay’s five-year draft record is somewhat difficult to fully sort out because Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik took over for Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen in 2009. Gruden and Allen had some big hits with guys like Davin Joseph, but some extreme misses (Gaines Adams and Dexter Jackson). Things are still playing out for Dominik and Morris and their draft classes, but I’ve got no problem putting the Bucs in the top 10 and that comes for one simple reason. Tampa Bay landed its franchise quarterback in 2009 when the Bucs took Josh Freeman. There’s an old saying that you’ve won half the battle if you get a franchise quarterback. I think there’s some truth in that and the Bucs are going to win a lot of games, mainly because of Freeman, over the next decade or so.

Now, let’s go back to Carolina. I think the Panthers have drafted a lot better than people give them credit for over this five-year span. They got Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil in the second round and have been solid with first-round picks like Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Former coach John Fox was pouting last season and that may have held some of 2010’s rookies back. But I’ve got a hunch you’re going to see a lot more of guys like Armanti Edwards, Brandon LaFell and David Gettis going forward.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Atlanta Falcons

Best choice: Taking Matt Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick in 2008. Yeah, he was the third pick and you should hit when you’re drafting in that territory. But look at how many quarterbacks, including some No. 1 overall picks, haven’t hit. The Falcons did their homework and were totally convinced Ryan was a franchise quarterback when they drafted him. He’s backed it up. You can still debate whether Ryan is an “elite quarterback,’’ whatever that means. But he came to a franchise that probably had hit a lower point than any franchise at any time in NFC South history and has produced nothing but winning seasons. Sure sounds like a franchise quarterback to me.

Worst choice: Jamaal Anderson. He has become a serviceable defensive tackle in the past year or so, but this guy was drafted as a defensive end in the top 10 in a draft where teams were reaching for pass-rushers (see Tampa Bay and Gaines Adams). This falls on a past regime and is part of the reason that regime failed. In four seasons, Anderson has produced 4.5 sacks and, as they head into the 2011 draft, the Falcons are, once again looking for a pass-rusher.

On the bubble: Peria Jerry. The Falcons thought they had a solid pick when they took Jerry in the first round in the 2009 draft. Jerry injured his knee early in his rookie season. He came back last year, but wound up as a backup to 2010 third-round pick Corey Peters. The Falcons are saying they expect a fully healthy Jerry to emerge in 2011. If that happens, there will be vindication. If not, Jerry will go down as a bust.

Carolina Panthers

Best choice: Ryan Kalil. Center didn’t seem like a huge need when the Panthers used a second-round pick on Kalil in 2007, and he did very little as a rookie. But the guy has turned into a consistent Pro Bowler. We won’t weigh this down by going into the labor situation, although the Panthers placed a franchise tag on Kalil. They’re still looking for the first true franchise quarterback in their short history. But they’ve got a franchise center to snap the ball.

Worst choice: Dwayne Jarrett. We’re only going back five years, so Keary Colbert is not eligible and he at least had a few productive moments. But the Panthers compounded that mistake by taking another USC receiver in the second round in 2007. Colbert should have been a major warning sign.

On the bubble: We’ll go with a tie between quarterback Jimmy Clausen and receiver Armanti Edwards. It’s tough to call anyone a bust after just one year, but the production of Clausen and Edwards as rookies makes that very tempting. We’ll give them a pass for the moment because they were emblematic of former coach John Fox’s refusal to embrace a youth movement. They get a fresh start with new coach Ron Rivera, and we’ll see how that works out.

New Orleans Saints

Best choice: Marques Colston. Yep, we’ll go all the way back to the first draft class of coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis as a team. They used the second of two seventh-round picks (No. 252) on the little-known receiver out of Hofstra. All they got was a guy who instantly became a very good No. 1 receiver. His numbers would be spectacular if Payton and quarterback Drew Brees weren’t so good at spreading the ball around. Colston is the definition of a value pick, and guys like guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans aren’t far off.

Worst choice: Al Woods. It’s hard to find any flaws in the way Payton and Loomis have drafted. They haven’t totally missed on any early picks. Woods was a fourth-round pick in 2010, but he ended up getting cut in the preseason. You generally expect a fourth-round pick to at least make the roster.

On the bubble: Reggie Bush. Yes, five drafts into this regime, you can still say the first pick Payton and Loomis made is on the bubble. Bush might stay there for his entire career because opinions are widely divided, and that’s understandable. He was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft. He never has produced the kind of numbers you would expect from a running back taken so early, and injuries have slowed him. But the flip side is that Bush is much more than a running back. He’s also a receiver and a return man. When you factor all that in and remember the role Bush played in the Saints' first Super Bowl title in franchise history, it’s tough to say categorically he’s been a bust.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best choice: Josh Freeman in a landslide. He wasn’t a popular pick when the Bucs traded up to get him in the middle of the first round in 2009. That was only because the Tampa Bay fan base had been schooled from the beginning that defense is most important. But general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris departed from that philosophy in their first draft. They landed a franchise quarterback who might not even be close to hitting his full potential.

Worst choice: Dexter Jackson. He was the modern-day Tampa Bay version of Booker Reese, which says a lot. But I’ll say even more and anoint Jackson as the worst draft pick any NFC South team has made in the past five years. In their last draft, former coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Bruce Allen used a second-round pick (No. 58) on the receiver/return man from Appalachian State. They made matters even worse moments after the pick by walking into the media room and saying they had found the second coming of Carolina receiver Steve Smith. It turned out the only things Smith and Jackson had in common were their size and the fact that both had spent some time in North Carolina. The Bucs quickly found out Jackson had no business being in the NFL. Maybe somebody should tell Jackson there's an opening in that flag-football league at the Siskey YMCA in Charlotte.

On the bubble: Gerald McCoy. Again, it’s tough to declare anything about a player after just one season. But McCoy was the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft. With a weak supporting cast, he got off to a slow start and probably didn’t do himself any favors by talking so much about it. McCoy started to come on as the season progressed but suffered a season-ending injury. Throw in the instant success of Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh and that places lots of pressure on McCoy to become a star in his second season.

It seems like every week in the NFL there are stories about players going against their former teams or coaches facing their former teams. But, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Washington Redskins on Sunday, the game presents more of a behind-the-scenes grudge match.

Bruce Allen is Washington’s general manager. He held that job in Tampa Bay from 2004 until he (and coach Jon Gruden) got fired after the 2008 season. That made me wonder a bit about how much Allen’s drafting has contributed to Tampa Bay’s surprising turnaround.

The answer is easy: Not much at all. Go take a look at Tampa Bay’s roster and I’m talking only the current active roster. There are nine guys Allen drafted and you can’t exactly call them the core of Tampa Bay’s resurgence.

Allen did draft safety Tanard Jackson, who is suspended until at least next September for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He also drafted cornerback Aqib Talib and Davin Joseph, who currently are on injured reserve.

That leaves Allen’s draft haul as center Jeremy Zuttah, backup quarterback Josh Johnson, linebackers Quincy Black, Geno Hayes and Adam Hayward, tackle Jeremy Trueblood, receiver Maurice Stovall, running back Cadillac Williams and linebacker Barrett Ruud.

That’s a less-than-stellar cast. We’ll give Allen credit for drafting the starting linebacker corps, even though Ruud is probably on his way out of Tampa Bay. Trueblood was average for a few years, but he’s now playing behind James Lee. Zuttah’s a decent guy to have swinging between center and guard, but he’s nothing special. Williams had a nice rookie year and has made a couple of inspirational comebacks from major knee injuries, but he could be on the way out as the Bucs look for a younger pair of legs to go with LeGarrette Blount next year. It’s a minor miracle Stovall’s still on the roster and the Bucs would be in deep trouble if they ever had to start Johnson at quarterback.

Joseph’s a free agent next year and there’s no guarantee Jackson will be back. Talib’s a great natural talent, but he’s come with trouble.

Oh, and let’s talk about some of Allen’s other greatest hits. We’re going to leave tragic figures Gaines Adams and Arron Sears alone. But how about receiver Michael Clayton? The Bucs could have had St. Louis running back Steven Jackson or Atlanta receiver Michael Jenkins (a Tampa kid) or New Orleans defensive end Will Smith with that pick.

And who can remember Chris Colmer? Yeah, he’s the offensive tackle Allen drafted in the third round, despite a history of shoulder problems. The injury resurfaced as soon as Colmer joined the Bucs and he never played a down in the NFL.

At least with Clayton the Bucs got one productive season. But Allen’s history with other receivers was even worse. There was fifth-round choice Larry Brackens out of that football factory that sometimes is called Pearl River Community college and, then there was Allen’s all-time worst draft pick.

Yep, Allen saved it for his last draft. He and Gruden used a second-round pick on Dexter Jackson and walked into the media room a bit later and claimed he was going to be the second coming of Carolina’s Steve Smith. Turns out the only thing Jackson and Smith had in common was they were both short and since Jackson had gone to school at Appalachian State, he had spent some time in North Carolina.

But, hey, maybe Allen’s drafts did the current Bucs a favor, after all. If Allen hadn’t botched things at wide receiver the way he did, Mark Dominik never would have had to draft Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and Sammie Stroughter.

TAMPA, Fla. -- When you’re watching NFC South teams this Sunday, keep an eye on the wide receivers. By choice and by circumstance, you’re going to see something rare.

You’re going to see a whole bunch of rookie wide receivers starting or playing a lot. That’s rare because there’s a school of thought, and most NFC South teams have backed it up through the years, that you shouldn’t ask too much of rookie receivers too soon.

We’re almost certainly going to see at least three rookies start at receiver for NFC South teams on Sunday and a fourth will get considerable playing time. A fifth might even be active for the first time in his career. In Week 5 of the NFL season, it’s kind of amazing that NFC South teams are leaning so heavily on rookie wide receivers, especially when not a single one of them was a first-round draft pick.

Tampa Bay’s been starting Mike Williams, a fourth-round pick, since the start of the season. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris hinted strongly during the bye week that second-round pick Arrelious Benn will get increased playing time going forward, probably splitting time with second-year pro Sammie Stroughter. The Bucs play at Cincinnati on Sunday.

In Carolina, it appears highly likely the Panthers will start two rookies at receiver on Sunday against Chicago. They likely will go with third-round pick Brandon LaFell and sixth-round pick David Gettis as the starters. Armanti Edwards, who is converting from playing quarterback in college, might be on the game-day active list for the first time this season.

In Carolina, this wasn’t exactly the plan. The Panthers, who traditionally have been very patient in playing young receivers, wanted LaFell starting as a rookie, but they thought Gettis and Edwards would have time to develop. But that’s all changed because the Panthers are likely to be without Steve Smith due to an ankle injury. They cut veteran Dwayne Jarrett after he was charged with driving while impaired Tuesday morning. The rookie receivers will be working with rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

While putting rookie receivers around a young quarterback might sound like a formula for disaster, that’s actually the plan the Buccaneers have had since draft day.

“We made the conscious decision to draft these young guys and let [quarterback] Josh [Freeman] grow with them," Morris said.

Morris then pointed to the New Orleans Saints and how they let a young crew of receivers grow up around Drew Brees. Not a bad example, although Brees had been a starter in San Diego before coming to New Orleans in 2006. Freeman’s only been starting since the second half of last season.

“They, and I’m talking the wide receivers and Josh, always talk about growing up together," Tampa Bay receivers coach Eric Yarber said. “We talk about that as a staff. We’ve got a lot of young guys, but eventually these guys are going to become big-time players in this league."

Williams already has shown promise. In three games, he has 12 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Although Benn was the higher draft pick, he hasn’t been much of a factor so far after missing some preseason time with an injury. But the Bucs are saying that’s about to change.

“Arrelious is coming on very well," Yarber said. “Early on, he had to spend a lot of time in the playbook. But now that he’s got the plays down, he’s playing much faster and we’re seeing the real Arrelious Benn now."

Still, is it wise or even productive to rely on rookie receivers so early? History has shown it’s a position that often takes time to grow into. Atlanta’s Roddy White, now the best receiver in the NFC South, didn’t really produce until his third year and he was a first-round pick. Smith spent a year as a kick returner before even getting a chance at wide receiver. Then, there’s a pretty lengthy list of guys who never really developed.

Carolina drafted Jarrett, Keary Colbert and Drew Carter and got very little from them. Tampa Bay used early picks on Michael Clayton and Dexter Jackson. Clayton had a big rookie year, but did nothing after that. Jackson never even made an impact and couldn’t make Carolina’s roster in the preseason.

Yarber admits there are challenges to playing rookie receivers right away.

“It is difficult because of the physicality on the outside against bump and run," Yarber said. “The guys in college are going against maybe one good DB that’s physical. On this level, every DB they face is physical and good at rerouting you. They’ve got to get used to the physicality on the outside.’’

But it’s far from just being a physical thing. The Panthers have been historically hesitant to play rookie receivers too much because they believe the mental adjustment takes time. In four seasons, Jarrett never was able to grasp the playbook. They don’t have much choice but to go with rookies now.

In Tampa Bay, the choice was made deliberately. The Buccaneers let veterans Antonio Bryant and Mark Bradley go to clear the way for Williams and Benn. They held onto Clayton through the preseason, but cut him once they were comfortable with the way the rookies were progressing.

Still, the Bucs admit their receiving corps is very much a work in progress and that affects the entire offense.

“You have to scale back a little bit," Yarber said. “You want to get them out there, but you don’t want to give them too much. That’s when you get to paralysis by analysis. They’re thinking so much that they can’t play fast. You need a happy medium that you don’t taper the offense down too much, but you don’t want to put too much in so that they’re thinking too much and they don’t play fast.

“One thing that can be a detriment to young guys early on is if you give them too much, they can lose confidence. You don’t want to give them too much too soon. You want them to have some success that they can build on and develop confidence and play better."

For better or worse, much of the NFC South is turning to rookie wide receivers.

Today’s the day that rosters have to get cut down to 75 players. Aside from Tampa Bay booting running back Derrick Ward, we haven’t seen any other big names go down in the NFC South, but the news is just starting to trickle in.

In addition to Ward, the Bucs also released receiver Terrence Nunn and placed linebacker Jon Alston on injured reserve.

In Carolina, the biggest name to become a casualty was wide receiver Dexter Jackson. He was a second-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2008 and was a total flop. After getting released by the Bucs last preseason, Jackson caught on with Carolina’s practice squad. The Panthers thought bringing the Appalachian State product home might give him a chance to revive his career. But he didn’t show much in training camp or the preseason.

The Panthers also placed linebacker Thomas Davis on the physically unable to perform list and waived/injured defensive end Hilee Taylor. Receiver Wallace Wright was placed on injured reserve and receiver Oliver Young was released.

No roster moves have been announced by Atlanta or New Orleans as of the moment.

I’ve spent much of Tuesday (and a large chunk of Monday) working on season previews for all NFC South teams. They’ve been shipped off to my editors and they’ll run as we get a little closer to the start of the regular season. My predictions for how the division will play out also are included in that package and I’m not giving any hints right now.

Anyway, it’s time to jump back into the daily mode and I thought a good first step would be to hit you with a few key dates that are fast approaching.

Roster cuts are not far away. Teams have to trim their rosters to 75 players on Aug. 31. That’s usually a pretty painless process. But the more important date is Sept. 4: That’s when teams have to get their rosters down to 53 players.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with some bigger names that are on the bubble around the NFC South. Among the guys I’m going to be keeping a close eye on are New Orleans’ Darren Sharper and Bobby McCray and Tampa Bay’s Michael Clayton, Derrick Ward and Ryan Sims. Not sure there are any real “names’’ on the bubble in Carolina (unless you count Dexter Jackson) or Atlanta.

At one point, I thought defensive end Jamaal Anderson and receiver Brian Finneran could be possible casualties by the Falcons. But I think Anderson’s safe in his role moving between end and tackle, and the loss of rookie receiver Kerry Meier to injury means Finneran is likely to stick around.

The good news for the New Orleans Saints is they are defending Super Bowl champions. The bad news is that’s not a great spot to be in in the NFC South.

The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl, and the 2003 Carolina Panthers, who lost it, didn’t even make the playoffs the following year. Since the division came into existence in 2002, there has been no such thing as a dynasty in the NFC South. No team has won the division crown in back-to-back seasons.

The Saints, who already have re-written history, will have to do it again if they want to stay on top. But the Atlanta Falcons might not be far behind, the Panthers have enough talent to be dangerous and the Buccaneers almost have to be better than last season.

We’ll find out soon enough if anyone can challenge the Saints. The test begins next week when all four NFC South teams report to training camp.

FOUR BIG QUESTIONS

Falcons: What does John Abraham have left?

For the past couple of years, the 32-year-old defensive end has been one of those guys who doesn’t practice all the time because the Falcons go out of their way to keep him healthy and fresh. That plan isn’t likely to change this season, but the Falcons will be keeping a very close eye on Abraham in camp.

His sack total dipped from 16.5 in 2008 to 5.5 last season. The obvious question is if Abraham is on the last legs of his career. Despite the statistical evidence, the Falcons believe there’s something left. After closely watching film of Abraham from last season, the coaches firmly believe Abraham can get back to double-digit sacks. Part of their thinking is he’ll benefit from improved play from the interior of the defensive line and that Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury are ready to generate pressure from the other side. Recent history has shown the Falcons are willing to make deals late in the preseason (trading for cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth and Tye Hill) if they feel they have a weakness. But they’re hoping Abraham shows enough in camp to convince them the pass rush will be adequate.

Panthers: What must Matt Moore do to win the starting quarterback job?

A lot of people believe this training camp will be highlighted by a battle between Moore and rookie Jimmy Clausen. That’s not really the case -- or at least not how Carolina’s brass views the situation. The truth is the Panthers are going to camp with every intention of Moore being the starter. He earned that much by playing well at the end of last season.

Coach John Fox isn’t about to open the season with a rookie starting at quarterback. He could turn to Clausen later in the season if things aren’t going well. But the immediate starting job is Moore’s, and the only way he can lose it is to have a disastrous training camp and preseason.

Saints: Are the Saints ready for a return to the “real’’ world?

Rightfully so, the Saints spent a lot of time this offseason celebrating their first Super Bowl title. Great for them and great for their fans. But all that’s about to end. Coach Sean Payton runs what I think is easily the toughest camp in the NFC South, and I don’t anticipate that changing. If anything, camp might be tougher this year.

Payton is an excellent motivator and he’s well aware the Saints now are the jewel on the schedule of every opposing team. The track record of Super Bowl champions in the following season hasn’t been all that impressive in recent years. Payton knows that, and you can bet that message is going to be conveyed to his team. A big part of the reason the Saints won the Super Bowl last season is because they had such a tough and productive camp.

Buccaneers: Who are the starting wide receivers?

The Bucs truly don’t know the answer to that question right now and that’s not a bad thing. The plan is to throw all the receivers out there in camp, let them compete and see who rises up. A lot of fans were frustrated and puzzled when the Bucs let Antonio Bryant walk in free agency, leaving the team without a clear-cut No. 1 receiver. But the Bucs believe they’re better off without Bryant, who wasn’t all that productive last season and didn’t endear himself to the front office or coaching staff when he made public comments about the coaches and quarterback Josh Freeman that were far from flattering.

The Bucs used early draft picks on Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. It’s likely at least one of them will start right away. Veterans Reggie Brown, Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall will compete for the other job. If both rookies look good in camp, it’s possible they could be the starters because there isn’t much upside with Brown, Clayton or Stovall. Second-year pro Sammie Stroughter also is in the mix. But, ideally, the Bucs would like to use him as the slot receiver.

HOTTEST SEATS

Falcons: Brian VanGorder. The defensive coordinator has done a nice job of working with the talent he’s had the past two seasons. The Falcons haven’t always had the talent to play the kind of defense coach Mike Smith and Van Gorder want and they’ve gotten by with patchwork. But those days are over. Last year’s top picks, defensive tackle Peria Jerry and safety William Moore, return after missing almost all their rookie seasons with injuries and the Falcons used their top two picks this year on linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and defensive tackle Corey Peters. They also spent a fortune signing cornerback Dunta Robinson. Although questions remain about the pass rush, the Falcons have the talent to play their scheme. That means the defense must take a big step forward.

Panthers: Dwayne Jarrett. A former second-round pick, Jarrett has not had much of an impact. With Muhsin Muhammad retired and Steve Smith expected to miss most of training camp with a broken arm, Jarrett is going to get a very long look in training camp. In a best-case scenario, Jarrett finally reaches his potential and earns the starting wide receiver job across from Smith. For that to happen, Jarrett must show an attention to detail and consistency; both have been lacking from his game. The Panthers drafted Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards early because they’re not sure if Jarrett ever will blossom.

Saints: Darren Sharper. The safety had a brilliant 2009 season. Sharper instantly became a fan favorite, but his lock on the starting job at free safety isn’t nearly as secure as many people think. Sharper is 34 and coming off knee surgery. We don’t even know if he physically will be able to do much during training camp. The Saints have moved Malcolm Jenkins, a first-round pick a year ago, from cornerback to safety. A lot of fans view Sharper as the Drew Brees of the defense, but I’m not so sure the coaching staff ever has seen it that way, and the Saints didn’t break the bank to re-sign Sharper in the offseason. If he’s 100 percent healthy, Sharper could stay in the starting lineup. Anything less and the Saints won’t hesitate to go with Jenkins.

Buccaneers: Ryan Sims. He was a starter with Chris Hovan at defensive tackle the past few years. The Bucs got rid of Hovan as soon as they could after last season. With the team using its top two picks on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, Sims can’t be feeling too secure. With Roy Miller also in the mix and the Bucs in a full-blown youth movement, Sims needs a strong camp just to secure a roster spot.

SECRET WEAPON

Under-the-radar player to keep an eye out for in camp: Clifton Smith, return man/running back, Buccaneers. It may seem like a stretch to call a guy who has been to a Pro Bowl an under-the-radar player, but Smith fits the profile. After missing most of the second half of last season with concussion problems, Smith has sort of been forgotten. That might be a mistake. Smith established himself as a top-notch return man when he made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season two years ago and helped ease the colossal mistake in which the Bucs drafted Dexter Jackson in the second round. When the new coaching staff took over last season, there was some talk about getting Smith more involved on offense. That got derailed by his injuries, but the plan could get back on track this year. Cadillac Williams is the main running back in Tampa Bay, but you could start to see Smith get some action as a situational player. With his speed, he could be an explosive receiver out of the backfield and also might be able to handle a few carries a game.

BEST POSITION BATTLE

It’s not an offensive skill position, so it won’t be flashy. But the best position battle in the NFC South will be sorted out in Spartanburg, S.C., as the Carolina Panthers try to figure what to do with their linebackers. This was supposed to be a spot with enormous strength, but an offseason knee injury to Thomas Davis has turned this into a huge question. Davis probably will miss the entire season, throwing the linebacker corps into a state of uncertainty.

The only thing that’s certain is that Jon Beason remains one of the best linebackers in the league and the unquestioned leader of this defense. But the Panthers aren’t even sure where Beason will line up. He has been fantastic in the middle, but he may move to Davis’ spot on the weak side. In what essentially amounts to a game of musical chairs, the Panthers are looking at four linebackers and trying to figure out the strongest starting trio. One reason they’re considering moving Beason is because they believe Dan Connor can be solid in the middle. He’ll get a chance to prove that in camp.

But the Panthers also will be keeping a close eye on outside linebackers Jamar Williams and James Anderson. If they both rise up, Beason could remain in the middle. If Connor rises up and the Panthers aren’t comfortable with Williams and Anderson as their starters on the outside, they won’t hesitate to move Beason.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith broke his left arm sometime over the weekend and there is a bit of discrepancy over the details. Smith’s agent has said the injury came during Smith’s annual youth camp. All the team will say is the injury happened during a flag football game.

No matter who Smith was playing with, this isn’t good news for the Panthers in any way. Their best player won’t be available for the start of training camp. All indications are Smith should be ready for the start of the regular season. But he’s going to miss some valuable practice time with quarterbacks Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen. That’s going to hurt Moore and Clausen more than it will Smith.

If you’re looking for some sort of bright spot, here’s a small one. Smith’s injury means the rest of the receivers will get more work in camp. That’s a good thing because the rest of the receiving corps needs all the work it can get.

Carolina drafted Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards and David Gettis this year. The Panthers also have Dwayne Jarrett, who’s been a bust since coming into the league. Other than that, the roster looks like this: Trent Guy, Dexter Jackson, Charly Martin, Kenneth Moore, Wallace Wright and Oliver Young.

Maybe the Panthers will go out and sign another receiver or two before camp, but don’t expect anything big from a team that’s not making any big moves right now. It’s more likely the Panthers will just throw all those young guys out there in camp and see who rises up.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I have just arrived at One Buccaneer Place, where there aren’t many signs of life -- at least in the media room.

Right now, it’s WDAE’s Whitney Johnson and me. We’re peeking through the windows and trying to see if we can get a glimpse at the Bucs’ draft board. Whitney and I are getting a little older and our eyes aren’t as sharp as they once were. But we’re pretty sure we were able to make out the words “Charles McRae’’ and “Eric Curry’’ at the top of the draft board.

Whitney also keeps a pair of binoculars handy and I borrowed them and caught a glimpse of Raheem Morris. I’m not an expert, but I can lip read a little and I’m pretty sure I saw Morris, after breaking out in laughter, saying something like, “Mike [Tomlin], you’re my buddy, but I wouldn’t even give you Dexter Jackson, if I still had him, for Ben Roethlisberger right now.’’

Anyway, I’m set up now and we’ll be bringing you much more from around the NFC South as the afternoon and evening go on.

» NFC Busts/Gems: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

» Draft Watch: Biggest needs (2/17) | Busts/gems (2/24) | Schemes, themes (3/3) | Recent history (3/10) | Needs revisited (3/17) | Under-the-radar needs (3/26) | History in that spot (3/31) | Draft approach (4/7) | Decision-makers (4/14) | Dream scenario/Plan B (4/21)

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Busts and late-round gems.

Atlanta Falcons

Some people called Thomas Dimitroff a genius after his first draft. Some called him an idiot after his second. I still lean toward the genius tag because we truly haven’t seen enough of Peria Jerry and William Moore, who got hurt early last year. It’s way too early to call any pick Dimitroff has made a bust. To find a true bust, all you have to do is go back to the year before Dimitroff and Mike Smith took over. Bobby Petrino and Rich McKay were so locked in on getting a pass-rusher that they reached for Jamaal Anderson, who has become a mediocre defensive tackle after Smith moved him inside.

Carolina Panthers

The jury’s still out on defensive end Everette Brown, last year’s top pick. But the Panthers have pretty much nailed it on every top pick since John Fox and Marty Hurney have been in power. Problem is they haven’t hit on much beyond the first round. Remember Dwayne Jarrett, Rashad Butler, Keary Colbert and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Eric Shelton? But, hey, if Shelton hadn't been such a tremendous bust, the Panthers never would have drafted DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

New Orleans Saints

Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, Tracy Porter and Thomas Morstead have all been gems found beyond the first round. General manager Mickey Loomis hasn’t had anything approaching a bust since the days when Jim Haslett was coaching. There were a fair amount back then. But they’re gone now and that’s part of the reason the Saints won the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let’s be nice and start by giving the Bucs credit for finding a franchise quarterback in Josh Freeman last year. And for getting receiver Sammie Stroughter in the seventh round. Everybody likes to rip general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris. But part of the reason the Bucs are in the shape they’re in is because Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen were busy using early picks on guys like Gaines Adams and Dexter Jackson. They somehow thought Jackson could be the second coming of Carolina’s Steve Smith.

The Carolina Panthers just announced they’ve signed four players to futures contracts and there is one fairly prominent name on the list.

That’s wide receiver Dexter Jackson, who flamed out as a second-round draft pick by Tampa Bay last year. Jackson spent part of this season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. The Panthers also signed defensive back Marcus Walker and defensive end Eric Moore off their practice squad. They also signed former Wake Forest center Steve Justice.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Monday’s move by the Panthers to sign receiver/return man Dexter Jackson to the practice squad is very interesting -- on several levels.

First, the signing of Jackson comes as the Panthers prepare to play Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Bucs are the team that cut Jackson in the preseason. Hmm, anybody think the Panthers might have signed Jackson so they can get a look inside Tampa Bay’s playbook? I hate to be the one to tell the Panthers, but if they want someone who can show them what the Tampa Bay offense is going to do, they got the wrong guy. A big part of the reason why the Bucs cut Jackson was because he never picked up the offense.

Besides, does an alleged defensive guru like John Fox really need someone to explain Tampa Bay’s offense? It’s not that complicated.

However, if this move is about giving Jackson a chance, it’s worth a shot. He’s something of a local guy in Carolina because he went to school at Appalachian State. He also has excellent speed. Coming in as a practice-squad guy, the expectations won’t be nearly as high as they were in Tampa Bay when he was a second-round draft choice. Jackson has a chance to re-start his career. But, first, he has to learn Carolina’s playbook.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

I’m pretty sure John Fox was just being John Fox when he threw out Steve Smith’s name as a possible punt returner Thursday.

Fox is a master at keeping all options open and not tipping his hand and he certainly has a dilemma at punt returner. Nobody really was able to hang onto the ball in the preseason and the Panthers tried to bring back Mark Jones, who failed a physical, and even took a look at Dexter Jackson.

Yeah, this might be a desperate situation, but not desperate enough to put Smith back there Sunday. There’s no doubt Smith could handle punt returns. He did it very well early in his career. If the Panthers were in a Super Bowl or even a playoff game, I wouldn’t hesitate to throw Smith out there for a return. He could break one at any time.

But this isn’t the Super Bowl or a playoff game. It’s a regular-season opener and Fox would be crazy to put Smith out there as a return man. The guy’s way too valuable as a receiver to increase his exposure to injury.

The Panthers would be wise to go with the unknown -- Captain Munnerlyn or Kenneth Moore. Yeah, they might botch a return or two and that could hurt. But it wouldn’t hurt nearly as much as getting Smith hurt for an extended period.