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Let’s take a look at some Monday afternoon headlines from around the NFC South.

• One of the NFL’s lead investigators in the Saints bounty program reportedly is resigning. But don’t get carried away with conspiracy theories. League officials said the investigator has had another job offer for some time, and part of the agreement with his new employer was that he would finish the bounty program investigation before leaving the NFL. He is scheduled to work through the end of May. Speaking of the bounty program, the NFL hasn't announced any player discipline so far Monday. If it hasn't come by this point, I'm pretty sure we'll have to wait at least another day.

• As expected, Atlanta running back Jacquizz Rodgers has given up his jersey number (22) to veteran cornerback Asante Samuel, who recently was acquired in a trade. Rodgers will now wear No. 32.

• Here’s the list of what numbers Atlanta’s draft picks are planning to wear.

• In this Insider post, Mel Kiper Jr. lists the players drafted in the first round who he thinks will have the biggest impact on their new teams. He lists Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin and Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly. No argument here. Martin might share playing time with LeGarrette Blount, but the rookie will be on the field more because he’s a more complete player. It remains to be seen if Kuechly or Jon Beason will occupy the middle, with the other sliding outside. But Kuechly’s going to be an instant starter. You don’t have a top-10 pick sitting on the bench.

• Speaking on Sirius NFL Radio, Seattle general manager John Schneider said Mark Barron, Kuechly and Bruce Irvin were the three-highest rated defensive players on Seattle’s board. So we know the Bucs weren’t the only team that had Barron rated above cornerback Morris Claiborne. Here’s the bottom line on that one: The Bucs played their hand very close to the vest and media (and therefore) fans weren’t expecting Barron. Instead, everyone focused on Claiborne. You probably don’t want to play poker with Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik.

• Former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who went undrafted, reportedly was scheduled for a tryout with Tampa Bay on Monday.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The 2012 NFL draft won’t be remembered as the flashiest in NFC South history. That honor belongs to the 2011 draft -- probably forever.

It’s tough to top a draft in which quarterback Cam Newton went No. 1 to Carolina, Atlanta traded up for receiver Julio Jones and New Orleans traded back into the first round to get running back Mark Ingram. Aside from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pretty good splash, this year’s NFC South draft wasn’t filled with drama.

Instead, it was filled with very deliberate picks that addressed big needs all around the division.

BEST MOVE

No pick set the division's tone for this draft better than Carolina's selection of Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 9 overall.

There’s nothing really flashy about Kuechly, but the Panthers didn’t need flash this time around. They got that with Newton, and he gave them a prolific offense. But that offense was only enough to carry the Panthers to a 6-10 record last season. Carolina couldn’t play defense, and opponents have run all over the Panthers the last few seasons.

A lot of people thought the Panthers should go with a defensive tackle in the first round. But there were two reasons they didn’t. They weren’t enamored of any of the first-round prospects at that position. They also feel pretty good about what they already have at defensive tackle. Ron Edwards, a big free-agent pickup last year, is coming back from an injury that kept him out last season, and the Panthers think he can anchor their defensive line. They also used two third-round picks on defensive tackles Terrell McClain and Sione Fua last year.

The Panthers believe they have the personnel to clog up the middle. Kuechly should be able to come in and do what he does best. He can roam the field and be the kind of tackling machine he was in college. This guy had as few flaws as any player in the draft and is ready to make an instant impact. It remains to be seen whether Keuchly or Jon Beason will play the middle and which one will slide outside. It doesn’t really matter. Either way, the Panthers now have a deep linebacker corps that should be able to stop just about any running game.

RISKIEST MOVE

You could say the Saints made a risky move by using their first draft pick on a player who didn’t even play his college ball in the United States. They drafted Regina (Canada) defensive tackle Akiem Hicks with the No. 89 overall pick in the third round.

The fact Hicks didn’t play against elite completion means there is obvious risk with this pick. But why not take a shot when you’re this late in the third round? Hicks has tremendous upside, and he was good enough to be recruited to LSU before leaving for Canada. The Saints have a great history of discovering gems (Jimmy Graham, Jahri Evans and Marques Colston) later in the draft. They took a risk, but it might pay off.

Hicks should at least have a chance at some playing time early on. The Saints don’t have much behind Brodrick Bunkley and Sedrick Ellis at defensive tackle. Hicks could end up in the rotation very quickly, and the Saints could end up looking very smart for taking this risk.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Bucs haven’t been exciting in any way in quite some time. But they provided virtually all of the excitement within the division in this draft. General manager Mark Dominik shrewdly made some trades that gave the Bucs the ammunition to move up twice and come out of the draft with three instant starters.

Get over the fact that Dominik used the No. 7 overall pick on a safety, Alabama’s Mark Barron. The Bucs weren’t sold on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne for reasons we don’t know. They were sold on Barron, and safety might have been the weakest position on their roster heading into the draft. Trading down from No. 5 to No. 7 started a process in which Dominik was able to manipulate the draft with trades that gave him two other starters -- running back Doug Martin and outside linebacker Lavonte David.

The Bucs traded back into the first round to get Martin late Thursday night. They were without a second-round pick Friday night. But they saw David sitting there, they had the ammunition, and they pounced. No NFC South team needed more help from this draft than the Buccaneers, and Dominik made sure they got help that will matter right from the start.

FILE IT AWAY

Atlanta’s selection of Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing in the fifth round might not seem like a big deal on the surface. For now, Ewing is probably nothing more than a special-teams player. But the Falcons also were looking a year or two down the road when they made this pick. Veteran fullback Ovie Mughelli is coming off a major injury, and he’ll turn 32 in June. It was time to find someone to groom as Mughelli’s eventual successor.

As we get ready for the NFL draft to resume, let’s take a spin through some NFC South headlines.

— Great quote from NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock on Tampa Bay safety Mark Barron: “I love this kid because his floor and ceiling are the same thing. His ceiling is to be a Pro Bowl safety; his floor is to be a Pro Bowl safety. That’s how good this young man is.’’ I’m with Mayock on this one. I know a lot of Tampa Bay fans wanted cornerback Morris Claiborne and the Bucs did extensive homework on him. I don’t know what the knock against Claiborne was, but the Bucs had him rated below Barron. You’ve got to go with what all your scouting tells you.

— Barron and running back Doug Martin were introduced to the Tampa Bay media on Friday.

— D. Orlando Ledbetter throws out some names of offensive linemen that could be possibilities for the Falcons at No. 55. He mentions Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, Bobby Massie, Mike Adams and Peter Konz as guys the Falcons might have to trade up to get in the second round. He lists Mitchell Schwartz and Amini Siatolu as guys who the Falcons can probably get if they stay put. I think there’s also a chance the Falcons go with a defensive lineman in the second round. By the way, even if you’re not interested in offensive or defensive linemen, click the link to check out Ledbetter’s photographic talents.

— New Orleans doesn’t have a pick until the third round, but Mike Triplett points to recent history to show the Saints still can get an impact player. They’ve landed Jimmy Graham, Jermon Bushrod, Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans after the first two rounds. All four of those players made the Pro Bowl for the Saints, although Nicks now is with Tampa Bay.

— One of the first people to call linebacker Luke Kuechly after he was selected by the Panthers on Thursday night was Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. Looks like Newton is making good on his pledge to attempt to be more of a leader.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Before he was even asked a question about his first pick as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano was painting a portrait that probably still is invisible to most Tampa Bay fans.

Schiano had just stunned his fan base -- and probably the rest of the world -- by taking Alabama safety Mark Barron at No. 7. A safety at No. 7? This guy had better be the second coming of Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed put together or, at very least, John Lynch Jr. You don’t take a safety at No. 7, and say you gladly would have taken him at No. 5, unless you think he’s special. Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik definitely thought Barron was special.

“I think he fits into what we do defensively perfectly,’’ Schiano said. “You couldn’t draw it up any better.’’

That probably doesn’t excite you, especially if you wanted the Bucs to stay put at No. 5 and draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. And I know there was a contingent of Tampa Bay fans who thought Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly would be a perfect fit after the Bucs traded out of No. 5 and Claiborne went to Dallas at No. 6.

Either of those would have fit the profile of what we’ve come to expect from the Buccaneers, stretching back to Tony Dungy, running through the Jon Gruden era (with Monte Kiffin as the bridge) and right through the ugly final days of Raheem Morris.

But here’s the thing: Those days are over. This is Schiano’s team now.

Unless you’re a die-hard Rutgers fan, you don’t have any clue what a Schiano team looks like. Even if all your Knights are scarlet, you might see some changes as Schiano adjusts to the NFL. He’s not about to publicly share his X's and O's, but he certainly has implied this team is going to look a lot different in a lot of ways. Believe it or not, that might start at safety because Barron is going to be tied to Schiano forever, for better or worse.

“I think our safeties have to be more dynamic than in most schemes,’’ Schiano said.

At 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, Barron is big enough to play in the box and make an impact on a run defense that needs improvement. With 12 career interceptions, Barron also has shown the ability to make plays in coverage.

“He needs to be able to do a lot of things, and he is capable of them,’’ Schiano said.

He’s going to have to cover wide receivers man to man, Schiano said. That’s a change from the days of Kiffin’s Cover 2, when safeties picked up wide receivers only after they got past the cornerbacks and Lynch often played the role of a linebacker. That may not be enough in an NFC South in which Drew Brees has thrown for 5,000 yards in a season and Cam Newton and Matt Ryan can put up big numbers. In case you haven’t noticed, that’s not just an NFC South trend. All around the league, teams are throwing the heck out of the ball.

“Safety has become an extremely important position now,’’ Dominik said.

More important than cornerback? Where the Bucs have Eric Wright, an aging Ronde Barber and a question mark in Aqib Talib?

Obviously, the Bucs think so. Dominik said the Bucs would have chosen Barron at No. 5 if they had stayed put. That means they would have chosen him over Claiborne, who was widely considered the best cornerback in this draft.

That’s a pretty strong statement from a team that has chosen only two defensive backs in the first round in its history and both of those were cornerbacks. There’s even a bit more pure football logic about this pick.

The Bucs had a big need at safety after releasing Tanard Jackson. They were left with Cody Grimm, a possible move to safety by Barber and not much else. Barron fills that need.

But I don’t think this pick was completely about X's and O's and pure football ability.

I think the selection of Barron was another sign that Schiano is going to do things much differently than in the past. Something obviously cooled the Bucs on Claiborne. Maybe it was that he reportedly had a low Wonderlic score or maybe it was something else.

Schiano said he and Dominik saw sparks the first time they watched film of Barron. By the time they interviewed him at the combine, there was a flame. As they talked about Barron, Schiano and Dominik both mentioned that he was a two-time captain for a team that won two national championships during his stint.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

I get the impression Schiano cares a lot about what guys bring as players, but I’m getting an even stronger sense he cares about what they bring as people and how that can translate into winning. That’s sort of a new concept around here, at least since the Dungy days.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

In other words, the Bucs think Barron can step right in and be a leader on a team that desperately lacked leadership and personality in the Morris days.

“Our coaches are excited to get their hands on him and mold him into a Buccaneer Man,’’ Dominik said.

We’ve heard the phrase “Buccaneer Man’’ a lot since Schiano took over. The problem is we have no idea what the new Buccaneer Man is supposed to be. But now we’re starting to get a bit of a portrait.

With Barron, there’s a face and maybe an outline of a body and a personality. Looks a little like a good athlete, a natural leader and a guy who was asking if there was a way to get his hands on a playbook Thursday night, even though he’s scheduled to fly to Tampa first thing Friday morning.

Maybe the Barron pick doesn’t look so bad -- or blank -- after all.

TAMPA, Fla. – A lot of people thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would end up with the best cornerback in the draft. Instead, they wound up with the best safety.

After trading down from No. 5 to No. 7, the Bucs drafted Alabama safety Mark Barron.

That may come as a surprise to those who expected Tampa Bay to come away with LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. But maybe the Bucs weren’t as sold on Claiborne as everyone thought.

They must have been sold on Barron. Not sure this will fly with fans, but Barron does fill a big need. The Bucs released safety Tanard Jackson recently. Aside from Cody Grimm, they have very little else at safety.

I’ll be back with much more analysis on this after we hear from coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik and get Barron on a conference call.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly have traded out of the No. 5 pick.

They now will pick in Jacksonville’s spot at No. 7.

Maybe the Bucs aren’t as sold on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne as everyone thought. Or maybe they think they can still get Claiborne at No. 7. I doubt that, though.

I think signs are pointing toward Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. But we’ll find out in a bit.

Mel Kiper Jr. has his latest mock draft out and it has some big shifts when it comes to the NFC South. Check out this Insider post .

Although the trend recently had been indicating that LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson would be gone before No. 5, they’re not in Kiper’s latest scenario.

They both are on the board because Kiper has USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil going to Minnesota at No. 3, and Cleveland taking Justin Blackmon at No. 4.

A lot of people around the NFL will tell you that the value of running backs has declined because the league has turned more to passing. Conventional wisdom is that you can get running backs later in the draft and you should not take them in the top 10, unless they are a special talent.

Apparently, Kiper believes (or thinks the Bucs believe) Richardson truly is special. Kiper has Richardson going to the Bucs, and he passes on Claiborne. If they’re both there, I could see the Bucs going either way. They do have need at cornerback, and Claiborne is the best in the draft. But coach Greg Schiano has talked repeatedly about how he wants to have a strong running game, and Richardson could be the centerpiece of that.

At No. 9, Kiper has Carolina taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. I’m on board with that. Carolina general manager Marty Hurney has gotten a little more daring in recent drafts and taken some chances. But I think Hurney will get back to his roots this year. In Kiper’s scenario, Kuechly probably is the best player on the board. He’s also a guy who had great production in college, can make an instant impact, and really comes with no questions.

Todd McShay has his final first-round mock draft out, and it has some major changes from what he had Wednesday. Check out this Insider post .

McShay now has the Buccaneers taking LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at No. 5. That’s a big swing from Wednesday when he had them taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. The big difference here is that Claiborne was available in this scenario. On Wednesday, he was already off the board.

I think the Bucs would be delighted if Claiborne is, in fact, available Thursday night. Of course, I think what happens with Minnesota and the No. 3 pick will go a long way in determining what Tampa Bay ultimately does.

At No. 9, McShay has Carolina taking Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe. McShay could end up being correct, but I have a tough time seeing the Panthers taking a guy who wasn’t all that productive in college and has seen his stock rise after a strong showing at the combine. It would seem out of character for the Panthers to take a workout wonder. Besides, I think there might be other defensive tackles they like better. Plus, in McShay’s scenario, Kuechly and North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples are available. I’m not sure the Panthers would pass on either of those two.

Morris Claiborne is the best cornerback in this year’s draft. Patrick Peterson was the best cornerback in last year’s draft.

Besides that, they’ve got a lot in common. Both played at LSU. Peterson went No. 5 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Claiborne isn’t expected to last past the Buccaneers at No. 5, and could go as early as No. 3. That would make LSU the fifth school to have multiple defensive backs drafted in the top five and the first to have defensive backs drafted in the top five in consecutive years.

Peterson had a great rookie season. How does Claiborne compare to him?

Well, let’s turn to ESPN Stats & Information for some numbers.

Claiborne played in 33 games and Peterson appeared in 39. Claiborne had 11 interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Peterson had seven interceptions and 22 pass breakups. Claiborne had 95 tackles and Peterson had 135.

Oh, one other thing. Ron Cooper coached both Peterson and Claiborne in college. Cooper is now defensive backs coach for Tampa Bay.

Let's take a look at the top draft-day headlines from around the NFC South.

Tom Sorensen writes that the Panthers must take North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, unless Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon still is available at No. 9. I agree Blackmon would be a great pickup if he somehow slides. But I can see the Panthers going with Coples. I also can see them going with Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, a defensive tackle or a cornerback.

Draft analyst Mike Mayock says the Panthers should stay clear of Coples. Mayock says that Coples is a boom-or-bust player that comes with risk.

The Panthers put Mississippi State offensive tackle Lamar Holmes through an individual workout Wednesday. Holmes is viewed as a late-round pick. He’s from just outside Charlotte, and the workout was held at his former high school.

Speaking of the Panthers and potential late-round picks, keep an eye on Mississippi State wide receiver Darius Reynolds. The Panthers called him this week to make sure they have his correct phone number.

There has been some speculation the Buccaneers could move up to No. 3 to assure they will get either Alabama running back Trent Richardson or LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. But that’s easier said than done, because the Bucs don’t have a fourth-round pick at the moment. If they want to move up two spots to get Minnesota’s pick, they likely would have to give up their first- and third-round choices, and that might be too steep a price.

Martin Fennelly writes that the Bucs should stay at No. 5, or trade down and add an extra pick or two.

The Saints won’t be active players in Thursday’s portion of the draft. In fact, they won’t be active until late Friday night. The Saints don’t have a pick until the third round (No. 89 overall). They traded away their first-round pick last year in the deal to get Mark Ingram, and had to forfeit their second-round pick as part of their punishment for the bounty program.

Sounds like Atlanta second-year running back Jacquizz Rodgers could be earning an unexpected bonus. Rodgers wore No. 22 as a rookie. But cornerback Asante Samuel, acquired Tuesday in a trade, sounded pretty confident he can get Rodgers to give up the number.

We ran through the NFC South portion of Todd McShay’s latest mock draft earlier. Now, let’s turn to ESPN’s other draft guru.

Check out this Insider post in which Mel Kiper Jr. unveils his latest mock draft . Kiper differs significantly from McShay when it comes to the only two NFC South teams with first-round picks.

In Kiper’s draft, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson are gone before the Bucs pick at No. 5. As recently as a week ago, the consensus was at least one of those two players would be available for the Bucs. But the consensus seems to be changing and I’m sure the Bucs have been preparing themselves for all scenarios.

Kiper gave the USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil to the Bucs and I don’t think that’s at all out of the realm of possibility. Yeah, Tampa Bay could take Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly and fill a big need. Or the Bucs could take Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon to give quarterback Josh Freeman another play-maker to go with Vincent Jackson.

But Kalil makes some sense. He’s viewed as pretty much a can’t-miss prospect. The Bucs already have Donald Penn at left tackle, but right tackle Jeremy Trueblood is a bit of a question mark and he’s heading into the final year of his contract. Kalil could step in and play the left side immediately and Penn could switch to the right side. Or Penn could stay on the left side for now and let Kalil begin his career on the right side.

At No. 9, Kiper, who had been giving the Panthers a steady diet of defensive tackles in the past, made a significant change. He has the Panthers taking Kuechly. Makes total sense. Kuechly might be the best player on the board at that point and the Panthers have linebackers Thomas Davis and Jon Beason returning from major injuries.

But I also could see Carolina going with South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore or North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples if Kiper’s first eight picks come true.

Todd McShay has his latest mock draft out and it includes some major changes from what he’s had in the past for the NFC South.

This draft goes seven rounds deep and McShay has help from Steve Meunch and Kevin Weidl. But we’ll just focus on the first round here and that means we’re talking about the Bucs and Panthers, the only two division teams with first-round picks.

It long has been thought that Tampa Bay’s choice at No. 5 would come down to LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. But McShay is buying into growing speculation that Minnesota is going to throw off the direction many saw this draft going. McShay now has the Vikings taking Claiborne at No. 3. He follows that up by giving Richardson to Cleveland at No. 4.

Then he goes in a direction that many suddenly seem to be headed. He has Tampa Bay taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 5. I don’t have a big problem with that scenario, assuming new coach Greg Schiano’s defense is ready to put increased emphasis on the middle linebacker position. Back in the Cover 2 days, middle linebacker wasn’t all that important and the Bucs relied on outside linebacker Derrick Brooks to make the big plays.

If the Bucs want a strong presence and are willing to make a significant investment on middle linebacker, then go with Kuechly. He’s viewed as a can’t-miss prospect with no real questions on or off the field. (That in itself would be a departure from the approach Tampa Bay took with some picks in the past.)

But, I also see some other scenarios for the Bucs if Claiborne and Richardson are gone. They probably could trade down a few picks and still get Kuechly and they also would add a pick or two.

Even if the Bucs stay put, I’m not certain Kuechly really is the guy they would take. They at least would have to consider Southern California offensive tackle Matt Kalil or Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon. Neither plays a position where the Bucs have a huge need, but they might be hard to pass up. Kalil is viewed as the kind of guy who can be an elite left tackle for a decade.

The Bucs are pretty well set on the offensive line. The interior is very strong and left tackle Donald Penn is above average. Right tackle Jeremy Trueblood is a bit of a question mark. The Bucs could take Kalil and start him off on the right side and eventually have him switch spots with Penn. Or the Bucs could take Kalil and switch Penn, who has a history of getting off to fast starts and then not playing as well down the stretch, to the right side. That could give them one of the league’s best offensive lines and it’s become clear one of Schiano’s priorities is to structure this team to help quarterback Josh Freeman.

Speaking of helping Freeman, Blackmon also could do that. I know the Bucs just signed Vincent Jackson and they have a bunch of young guys with potential. But Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn haven’t really shown they are big-time players. The Bucs already have given Freeman one big playmaker in Jackson. They could give him two if they take Blackmon.

McShay also departs from previous conventional wisdom by selecting South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore for Carolina at No. 9. There are rumblings that Gilmore is a player on the rise. He’s also a local kid. He grew up just over the South Carolina border in what qualifies as a suburb of Charlotte. Cornerback is certainly a need and owner Jerry Richardson likes to bring in players from the Carolinas. I can see this one happening. But there’s another local guy who could be in the mix. That’s North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. General manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera drove up to Chapel Hill for a meeting with Coples on Monday and I don’t think they would have made that trip if they weren’t seriously considering him.

As we get ready for the start of the NFL draft Thursday, let’s quickly review which teams have what picks.

After that, we’ll turn to ESPN Stats & Information for a few draft notes on each team.

The Atlanta Falcons have six overall picks -- second round (No. 55), third round (84), fifth round (157), sixth round (192) and two seventh-round picks (229 and 249). After trading up to draft Julio Jones last year, the Falcons are without a first-round pick for the first time since 2006. With only two picks in the first four rounds, the Falcons are tied with the Saints and Raiders for the fewest. The Falcons have selected a defensive player with six of eight picks in the first three rounds since 2009. Of the six draft picks in 2011, only Jones started a game last season.

The Carolina Panthers have seven picks -- first round (No. 9), second round (40), fourth round (104), fifth round (143), sixth round (180 and 207) and seventh round (216). The Panthers are the only team in the draft without a third-round pick. They traded that to the Bears last year for tight end Greg Olsen. Of the five draft picks the Panthers have had in the top 10 in their history, they have used four of them on offensive players, with defensive end Julius Peppers being the only exception.

The New Orleans Saints have five picks -- third round (No. 89), fourth round (122), fifth round (162), sixth round (179) and seventh round (234). The Saints traded away their first-round pick last year when they moved back into the first round to take running back Mark Ingram. They had to forfeit their second-round pick, which would have been No. 59, as part of their punishment for the bounty program. This is the first time in franchise history the Saints haven’t had a pick in the first two rounds. The five picks are the fewest the Saints have had since 2009, when they had four. Their 16 total picks from 2009 through 2011 are the second-fewest of any team. The Saints drafted defensive players with five of their six picks in 2011.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have six picks -- first round (No. 5), second round (36), third round (68), fifth round (140), sixth round (174) and seventh round (212). The only time the Bucs have had fewer picks was in 2000, when they had only five. Tampa Bay’s eight draft picks in 2011 combined for 46 starts last season (tied for third in the league). The Bucs have drafted defensive front-seven players with their first three picks in 2011 and their first two picks in 2010. There’s been a lot of speculation the Bucs could use their first-round pick on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. If they do, it will mark only the third time in franchise history they’ve used a first-round pick on a defensive back. The previous two were Aqib Talib in 2008 and Roderick Jones in 1986.

Let's take a look at the top Wednesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

— The Atlanta Falcons reportedly are on the verge of making a trade with Philadelphia for cornerback Asante Samuel. Unless there’s a snag, it will be completed before the start of the draft Thursday. This would give the Falcons three starting-caliber cornerbacks, with Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes already in place, but new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has said he plans to play three cornerbacks much of the time. It’s pretty much a given that Samuel will have to restructure his contract if he does join the Falcons.

— Here’s a column that suggests the Buccaneers could take Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 5, if Alabama running back Trent Richardson and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne are gone. Kuechly is easily the best linebacker in the draft, has no flaws on or off the field and the Bucs certainly need help at linebacker. But I’m not sure we would see this scenario play out unless new coach Greg Schiano places a higher premium on the middle-linebacker position than the previous coaching staff did. General manager Mark Dominik refused to pay Barrett Ruud big money and replaced him with third-round draft pick Mason Foster last year. If Schiano is intent on getting a top-notch middle linebacker, then Kuechly makes lots of sense. If the Bucs still don’t view middle linebacker as being all that crucial a position, then I think they’d consider USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon at No. 5. One other thing to keep in mind about Kuechly -- he spent most of his offseason working out at IMG Academies in nearby Bradenton. Several of the Bucs were down there working out and Kuechly made some new friends. They might be in Schiano’s ear about Kuechly.

— Carolina receiver Steve Smith said he was told by one of the Saints last season that he would have been fined if he hadn’t gone after Smith’s ankles out of bounds. That doesn’t quite fit the parameters of the bounty program, but it doesn’t look good. And who thinks it’s a good idea to give Smith anything, real or perceived, that might motivate him? Smith thrives on that kind of stuff.

— Without a pick until the third round, the Saints will need to pull of some magic in the middle and late rounds of the draft. They’ve done it before. They previously have found gems like receiver Marques Colston and guard Jahri Evans later in the draft.

— Addressing the bounty program, interim New Orleans coach Joe Vitt said the Saints crossed the line with words in meetings, but not with their on-field deeds.

With the No. 5 pick in the Blogger Mock Draft Live, I just selected LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Lots of people are assuming this will come down to a choice between Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. In this draft, it didn’t shake out that way. AFC North colleague Jamison Hensley helped make the decision for me by taking Richardson for Cleveland at No. 4.

I immediately pounced on Claiborne because this pick makes sense on many levels. He’s the best cornerback in this draft. Tampa Bay currently has Aqib Talib, Eric Wright, Ronde Barber and a few other role players at cornerback. But Barber could be moving to safety this season. Even if he doesn’t, this might be his last season before retirement. Talib has an uncertain future with an assault trial in Texas coming up in June. He could face prison time or a suspension by the NFL. Even if Talib plays this season, he’s heading into the last season of his contract. It’s time for the Bucs to find a long-term, top-notch starter and Claiborne fits the profile.

We’ll see if the Bucs agree Thursday night, assuming Richardson isn’t available when they really are on the clock. I also think it’s at least possible we could all be wrong in thinking the Bucs are focused only on Claiborne and Richardson. If available, I think USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon and Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly also could be in the mix.