PFF’s All-Time Single-Season Teams: NFC South

The 2015 Panthers won't be forgotten anytime soon: Cam Newton, Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly guided Carolina to the verge of a Super Bowl title.

Tom Brady made an unforgettable mark on Tampa Bay: Brady's 2020 season was the highest-graded by a quarterback in franchise history.

Subscribe to PFF+: It’s quick and easy. You’ll unlock industry-leading rankings, unlimited Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator use, the PFF Live Draft Assistant and our weekly Start/Sit Optimizer. It’s time to win.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

In honor of PFF heading into its 20th season of grading and data collection, we’re taking a look back at the best single-season performances for each team according to PFF grading.

As such, we’ve built a series of starting offensive and defensive lineups for all 32 teams using the highest-graded seasons at every position. There are a few rules:

A player must have played at least 500 snaps in a given season
A player can only make one appearance per roster (e.g., Julio Jones can’t take up all three WR slots for Atlanta)
A player who was acquired midseason can still be slotted provided he fulfilled the required snap minimum for that team.

Without further ado, here are PFF’s all-time single-season lineups for the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Matt Ryan, 92.2 (2016)

RB: Bijan Robinson, 92.8 (2024)

WR: Julio Jones, 93.5 (2016)

WR: Roddy White, 89.3 (2012)

WR: Drake London, 87.8 (2024)

TE: Tony Gonzalez, 89.2 (2012)

LT: Jake Matthews, 80.3 (2017)

LG: Andy Levitre, 84.6 (2016)

C: Alex Mack, 91.5 (2017)

RG: Chris Lindstrom, 95.0 (2022)

RT: Kaleb McGary, 86.6 (2022)

EDGE: John Abraham, 90.1 (2011)

EDGE: Adrian Clayborn, 81.3 (2017)

DI: Grady Jarrett, 90.4 (2018)

DI: Grady Jackson, 88.0 (2006)

LB: Deion Jones, 88.0 (2017)

LB: Michael Boley, 85.7 (2007)

CB: Brent Grimes, 84.7 (2011)

CB: Desmond Trufant, 82.8 (2013)

S: Jessie Bates III, 90.6 (2023)

S: Ricardo Allen, 81.2 (2016)

FLEX: A.J. Terrell, 82.6 (2021)

Atlanta’s single-season offense is loaded with stars, including several from their NFC champion unit in 2016. That was Matt Ryan’s peak season, as he earned a career-high 91.5 PFF passing grade. He certainly had his share of help from Julio Jones and a stellar offensive line. Jones led the NFL with a 93.4 PFF receiving grade in 2016, while the Falcons’ offensive line, led by studs like Jake Matthews, Andy Levitre and Alex Mack, ranked second in the league in PFF grade that year.

The Falcons’ defense isn’t quite as stacked as their offense, which has been a theme through the years, but they still carry some excellent talents. John Abraham paced the NFL with a 90.9 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2011. Six years later, Deion Jones was the best in the league with a 91.7 PFF coverage grade in 2017. Lastly, current Falcon Jessie Bates III made an immediate impact in 2023, as he earned an elite 90.6 PFF grade.

Carolina Panthers

QB: Cam Newton, 84.7 (2015)

RB: Christian McCaffrey, 86.5 (2019)

WR: Steve Smith, 91.3 (2008)

WR: DJ Moore, 82.2 (2019)

WR: Muhsin Muhammad, 79.8 (2008)

TE: Greg Olsen, 90.4 (2015)

LT: Jordan Gross, 89.1 (2007)

LG: Andrew Norwell, 81.1 (2015)

C: Ryan Kalil, 86.3 (2009)

RG: Keydrick Vincent, 83.4 (2008)

RT: Jeff Otah, 82.5 (2008)

EDGE: Charles Johnson, 83.2 (2010)

EDGE: Greg Hardy, 82.9 (2013)

DI: Kawann Short, 91.9 (2017)

DI: Derrick Brown, 90.1 (2023)

LB: Luke Kuechly, 93.6 (2015)

LB: Thomas Davis Sr., 83.0 (2013)

CB: Richard Marshall, 88.1 (2006)

CB: Josh Norman, 85.7 (2015)

S: Kurt Coleman, 84.3 (2015)

S: Xavier Woods, 80.3 (2023)

FLEX: Chris Gamble, 84.5 (2008)

The Panthers’ 2015 team was easily their best in the PFF Era, as they fell just short of a Super Bowl victory. MVP Cam Newton turned in the best season of his career, as he accounted for 50 touchdowns, including the postseason. Greg Olsen was the top receiving threat on that team, as he led all tight ends with a 91.1 PFF receiving grade.

Carolina’s defense was equally talented with star players like Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman at the peak of their powers. Kuechly was in the midst of five straight seasons in which he earned at least a 90.0 overall PFF grade. Norman never reached that level of consistency, but he ranked third in NFL with an 89.9 PFF coverage grade in 2015 while breaking up 14 passes and intercepting four more.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Drew Brees. 94.0 (2018)

RB: Alvin Kamara, 90.4 (2017)

WR: Michael Thomas, 91.6 (2018)

WR: Marques Colston, 89.5 (2011)

WR: Lance Moore, 83.2 (2012)

TE: Jimmy Graham, 90.1 (2011)

LT: Terron Armstead, 92.5 (2009)

LG: Carl Nicks, 89.3 (2009)

C: Brian De La Puente, 84.4 (2012)

RG: Jahri Evans, 92.6 (2009)

RT: Ryan Ramczyk, 90.9 (2019)

EDGE: Cameron Jordan, 91.2 (2017)

EDGE: Marcus Davenport, 84.1 (2019)

DI: Brian Young, 89.8 (2006)

DI: David Onyemata, 88.8 (2020)

LB: Demario Davis, 90.3 (2019)

LB: Kaden Elliss, 81.5 (2022)

CB: Jabari Greer, 90.8 (2009)

CB: Mike McKenzie, 86.2 (2007)

S: Marcus Williams, 89.2 (2017)

S: Tyrann Mathieu, 81.3 (2023)

FLEX: Marshon Lattimore, 81.2 (2017)

Drew Brees and his disciples shredded opposing defenses for more than a decade in New Orleans. Early in Brees’ career, he was assisted by an outstanding supporting cast that featured terrific receiving threats like Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham as well as the incredible guard duo of Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans. Brees’ highest-graded season, though, was 2018, as a new generation of standouts like Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and Ryan Ramczyk quickly developed into stars.

Several veterans who are still playing in New Orleans rank among the Saints’ elite single-season performers. Cameron Jordan led the NFL with 88 pressures in 2017. Demario Davis developed into one of the league’s best linebackers when he arrived in New Orleans, and was the NFL’s highest-graded player at the position in 2019. Tyrann Mathieu also sneaks onto the list with his 2023 season, when he earned a terrific 87.4 PFF coverage grade.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Tom Brady, 93.3 (2020)

RB: Bucky Irving, 90.8 (2024)

WR: Mike Evans, 91.7 (2016)

WR: Chris Godwin, 90.7 (2019)

WR: Vincent Jackson, 89.6 (2012)

TE: Cameron Brate, 80.5 (2016)

LT: Donald Penn, 85.0 (2008)

LG: Logan Mankins, 77.3 (2015)

C: Jeremy Zuttah, 80.1 (2013)

RG: Ali Marpet, 82.7 (2016)

RT: Tristan Wirfs, 84.3 (2021)

EDGE: Robert Ayers, 85.8 (2017)

EDGE: Michael Bennett, 82.0 (2011)

DI: Gerald McCoy, 86.9 (2017)

DI: Vita Vea, 80.0 (2023)

LB: Lavonte David, 90.5 (2017)

LB: Barrett Ruud, 84.1 (2008)

CB: Brent Grimes, 88.6 (2016)

CB: Darrelle Revis, 84.6 (2013)

S: Antoine Winfield Jr., 90.7 (2023)

S: Jermaine Phillips, 85.3 (2007)

FLEX: Ronde Barber, 79.4 (2012)

Tom Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay was his most memorable, as he led the NFL with 56 big-time throws at the age of 43 and propelled the franchise to its second championship. That team featured multiple stars like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs, who still comprise the core of the Buccaneers’ outfit. Ali Marpet is a fascinating player who actually owns the highest-graded qualified season for the Buccaneers at left guard, right guard and center. His 2016 performance at right guard earned him his placement in this lineup.

Several legendary players make appearances in Tampa Bay’s defensive lineup. Hall of Famer Ronde Barber earned a 79.4 overall PFF grade in his final NFL campaign. Darrelle Revis, who cracked the Jets’ and Patriots’ single season lineups, shows up again for Tampa Bay for his excellent work in 2013. Lavonte David has long been a constant for the Buccaneers’ defense, and his 2017 performance was the best in PFF history by a Tampa Bay linebacker.