NFL Draft 2011: How the Buccaneers' NFC South Foes Fared in Round One

The Buccaneers got their man in round one Thursday night.

So what about those NFC South division foes?

Here's a quick look at the guys Buccaneers will be going up against.

CAROLINA:  The Panthers did what most expected them to do. They took Cam Newton. Goody, goody gum drops.

It will be a while before we know how this pans out. For every positive, there was a negative floating around Newton. At the end of the day, Cris Carter, former NFL receiver extraordinaire acted as the voice of reason on the NFL Network.

His concern was simple and earth-moving: "He's not an accurate passer," said Carter.

So the Panthers took the man they hope will be their franchise quarterback. They better hope he pans out because when you consider the Bucs have arguably the best young quarterback in the NFL, Newton has a lot to look up to. Throw in Matt Ryan in Atlanta and Drew Brees in New Orleans and the NFL South is stacked with ace quarterbacks.

Right now, the Buccaneers have nothing to worry about with those guys. Carolina flat-out stinks and this ship will not be salvaged overnight.

ATLANTA: It was the boldest move of the first round and probably the most surprising. The Falcons moved up from the 27th spot into the sixth and gave up the ranch to Cleveland.

Now ask yourself: Is Julio Jones of Alabama worth giving up a second and fourth round pick in this year's draft and then, on top of that, the first and fourth picks next year?

No way, no how.

Sure, he's big and can make some plays, but I think John Gruden was right when he nailed this guy. After the pick, Gruden, the NFL Network analyst proclaimed: "I think this guy has struggled to catch the football."

And hey, John Gruden knows what it looks like when someone struggles to catch the football.

Does the name Michael Clayton ring a bell?

This should also come as good news to Aqib Talib. After this pick, something tells us that he's not going anywhere.

NEW ORLEANS: It's always a good thing to have two first round picks. The Saints took Cameron Jordan with the 24th selection after the Bucs passed on him in favor of Adrian Clayborn. We'll see first-hand who the better defensive end is over the next few years.

Mark Ingram was their pick at No. 28. Wasn't it great to watch Nick Saban squirm there in the Green Room while team after team passed on his Heisman Trophy winner? It's simply a statement that this league is turning into a passing league. A lot of savvy GMs have said that it's a simple rule these days that you don't take a running back in the first round.

If the Saints weren't there, Ingram could well have fallen into the second round.

Can he hurt the Buc defense? Only time will tell.

Don't know about you, but when I look at the other division teams, there no one there who jumps out and makes you say "WOW, I hate to see that guy on the field."

Good news is that there are a ton of good players still left in the draft.

It's only the beginning.

Stay tuned.