NFC South All-Decade Team of the 2000s: Which safeties made the cut?

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NFC South All-Decade Team of the 2000s: Which safeties made the cut?

John Sigler, Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Fri, Jul 10, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Our look at the NFC South All-Decade Team of the 2000s has come to a close with the best safeties who patrolled the division from 2002 to 2009. It's a tough group to make; just one New Orleans Saints safety made the cut, with both the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers represented while the Atlanta Falcons were shut out. Maybe the dirty birds can get into the lineup when we move into the 2010s All-Decade Team. But let's get to it.

Methodology

One key stat we're relying on is Approximate Value from Pro Football Reference , which PFR defines as "an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year." In practice, that means giving higher numbers to player who start more games, play more snaps, and do more to help their team win by racking up yards, scoring touchdowns, creating turnovers and sacking quarterbacks, and so on. We're also assigning point values to being named a first-team All-Pro (ten points), second-team All-Pro (five points), and Pro Bowler (three points). And then we're adding those numbers together. Remember, these are all-decade teams for the NFC South, which didn't exist until 2002, and only contributions on the four teams in the division factor into our formula. So Drew Brees earning a Pro Bowl nod with the San Diego Chargers in 2005 doesn't help him, for example.

First team: Mike Minter

Feb 1, 2004; Houston, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; Carolina Panthers defensive back Mike Minter (30) tackles New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk (33) during Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Panthers 32-29. Mandatory Credit: MPS-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Carolina Panthers (2002 to 2006)
AV: 36
Honors: N/A
Score: 36

Minter was already an established starter in Carolina when the NFC South was founded in 2002, having appeared in 68 games across the previous five years. And he continued to play a key role over the next five years by not missing a single start in 80 regular season games and seven playoff matchups. He was credited with limiting big plays given up over the top of the Panthers defense while chipping in multiple tackles for loss and takeaways in three of his five years in the new division. Carolina's pass defense ranked outside the top-10 just once with Minter lined up deep downfield.

First team: Jermaine Phillips

November 30, 2008; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jermaine Phillips (23) intercepts the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002 to 2009)
AV: 33
Honors: N/A
Score: 33

Phillips didn't get in the starting lineup until the Bucs moved on from John Lynch (more on him in a minute), but he proved himself as a reliable presence at safety by appearing in 101 games between the regular season and the playoffs. Not bad for a former fifth-round pick. Phillips peaked with 100-plus tackles and nine passes defensed in 2006 to go with five forced fumbles and a couple of interceptions.

Second team: John Lynch

Unknown date, 1995; Tampa, FL USA; FILE PHOTO; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back John Lynch (47) celebrates on the field at Houlihan's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002 to 2003)
AV: 18
Honors: All-Pro second team (1), Pro Bowler (1)
Score: 26

We only caught Lynch at the end of his storied Buccaneers career, but he was an impressive defensive back even in just those two years. After being released from Tampa Bay in 2004 and picked up by the Denver Broncos , Lynch totaled nine Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams before he chose to call it a career. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and hired as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 after a brief stint in broadcasting.

Second team: Roman Harper

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Roman Harper #41 of the New Orleans Saints reacts to a play against the Indianapolis Colts during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Team: New Orleans Saints (2006 to 2009)
AV: 22
Honors: Pro Bowler (1)
Score: 25

While he caught flak from fans for his lapses in coverage, Harper was one of the NFL's hardest-hitting safeties when allowed to play to his strengths. He had five sacks in his first two years and finished his career with 20 of them across 11 seasons (including the playoffs). Harper earned the first of two Pro Bowl nods in 2009 while helping lead the Saints to a championship in Super Bowl XLIV.