The Old Lands OTS 3.0

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Editor's note: Anyone in the NFL will tell you it takes three years to judge a draft. With that in mind, we asked analyst Bucky Brooks to take a look at how every NFL team fared over the last three years. In the second of a four-day series, he examines the AFC and NFC South divisions:

Carolina: B
Total picks made: 24
Picks on current roster: 23
Touchdowns: MLB Jon Beason, RB Jonathan Stewart, OT Jeff Otah, C Ryan Kalil
Fumbles: WR Dwayne Jarrett, DT Corvey Irvin
Jury still out: DE Everette Brown, FS Sherrod Martin, LB Dan Connor


Analysis: The Panthers are undergoing an extensive makeover, but the team still has a chance to be competitive for another few years due to its solid drafts. At the top of the draft, the Panthers successfully nabbed Beason, Stewart and Otah in the first round. The trio has anchored the team's rebuilding efforts and given the team an identity on both sides of the ball. Even though Jarrett and Irvin have failed to live up to their draft status, the overall contributions of the team's recent classes have been outstanding. Given the significant losses to their roster this offseason, more of the Panthers' young players will get a chance to prove their worth in 2010.
Brooks' draft grades NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks takes a look this week at how every NFL has drafted over the last three years:

Monday: AFC East, NFC East
Tuesday: AFC South, NFC South
Wednesday: AFC North, NFC North
Thursday: AFC West, NFC West

Atlanta: B-
Total picks made: 30
Picks on current roster: 21
Touchdowns: QB Matt Ryan,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], MLB Curtis Lofton, G Justin Blalock, FS Thomas DeCoud, FB Jason Snelling
Fumbles: DE Jamaal Anderson, DB Chris Houston
Jury still out: S William Moore, DT Peria Jerry


Analysis: The Falcons underwent a significant philosophical change when Thomas Dimitroff took over as general manager. The forward-thinking personnel man hit a home run with Ryan as his first selection and has identified several solid starters with his mid-round picks. Lofton, Blalock and DeCoud have quietly enjoyed productive careers as young starters. Although the team's recent draft haul has helped the Falcons post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, the notable failures of Anderson and Houston prevents the team from receiving high marks across the board.

New Orleans: C-
Total picks made: 17
Picks on current roster: 14
Touchdowns: WR Robert Meachem, DT Sedrick Ellis, CB Tracy Porter
Fumbles: G Andy Alleman, RB Antonio Pittman
Jury still out: CB Malcolm Jenkins, FS Usama Young


Analysis: The Saints are the defending Super Bowl champions, but the key to their success has been their ability to fill their needs through free agency. While the team has plucked a few early-round players who have developed into solid contributors, the team's top picks have yet to perform to their draft status on a consistent basis. Furthermore, the Saints are still waiting on several of their young players (Jenkins and Young) to make a contribution. Throw in the notable failures of Pittman and Alleman, and it's hard to give the team high marks on their recent draft history.

Tampa Bay: C-
Total picks made: 23
Picks on current roster:18
Touchdowns: CB Aqib Talib, FS Tanard Jackson, QB Josh Freeman, WR Sammie Stroughter
Fumbles: DE Gaines Adams, WR Dexter Jackson
Jury still out: SS Sabby Piscitelli


Analysis: The Bucs swapped out their head coach and general manager a season ago after ownership grew tired of the team's aging lineup. Although the Jon Gruden-Bruce Allen regime guided the Bucs to the only Super Bowl title in franchise history, the duo's repeated misses in the draft's early rounds left the team with little depth at key positions. The late Adams and Jackson are a few of the whiffs that eventually set the franchise back. Although the team has gotten significant contributions from OT Arron Sears, Talib and Jackson, they have also given the Bucs their fair share of headaches with an assortment of off-field issues. Given their inability to select effectively in the draft's early stages, it's not surprising that Tampa Bay has recently fallen on hard times.