1. New Orleans Saints
After an 0-4 start last year, the Saints were a pretty good football team. However, the defense is a problem. The additions of Jonathan Vilma and Sedrick Ellis could make a major impact, and the offense should be a plus. One serious concern is that the team may once again be at the mercy of New Orleans' weather, which is even worse when you consider one of their "home" games will be played in London. It's amazing how few times Drew Brees gets sacked with all those pass attempts, and it's safe to expect last year's 6.8 YPA to jump at least a half a yard. Jeremy Shockey's presence certainly won't hurt. Absolutely nothing should be expected of Deuce McAllister, and it'd be a mild surprise if Pierre Thomas doesn't finish with more yards and touchdowns than the disappointing Reggie Bush. But the Saints will win with their passing attack.
2. Carolina Panthers (wild card)
The Panthers were one of only two teams last year to start four different quarterbacks, and since they were painfully slow to realize David Carr is a lemon, the team was doomed as a result. There's no guarantee Jake Delhomme stays healthy or returns to form coming off major elbow surgery and now 33 years old, but all signs point to a full recovery. It's simple – when he and Steve Smith are on the same field together, the offense is tough. Of course, Smith will miss the first two games of the season after rearranging Ken Lucas' face, but that incident supposedly brought the team together like never before. Seriously. D.J. Hackett probably won't make a huge difference, but the return of Muhsin Muhammad should help the running game. Speaking of which, Carolina's ground game should take huge strides, as rookie Jonathan Stewart is a massive upgrade over the departed DeShaun Foster, and his addition has also led to a vastly improved DeAngelo Williams. Rookie Jeff Otah's presence can't hurt either. Expect a monstrous bounce back from Julius Peppers, making the defense a force.
3. Atlanta Falcons
Out with the old, and in with the new. One more year removed from the Michael Vick debacle, the Falcons now have their franchise quarterback, left tackle, running back and coach. Of course, there's going to be growing pains, especially since they will be starting a rookie QB from the get go. Still, there's reason for optimism here, and Mike Smith is a gigantic upgrade over that fraud Bobby Petrino. Roddy White is a star who will demand opposing defenses attention, while the Michael Turner/Jerious Norwood combo should be pretty productive.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The fact every single division winner in the NFC South has finished in last place the following year is irrelevant, as stats like that certainly aren't useful predictive measures. Still, it's quite possible the trend continues, as Tampa Bay enters 2008 with plenty of question marks. The defense is solid, no doubt, but the offense could be a major problem, with its two best players ages 36 and 38. Expect plenty of regression from Jeff Garcia this season.