All-NFC South Team of the 2010s: Two Saints safeties bring it home

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All-NFC South Team of the 2010s: Two Saints safeties bring it home

John Sigler, Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Mon, Jul 20, 2026 ·

4 min read

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We've reached the final entries in our All-NFC South Team of the 2010s, with the division's top safeties lining up to take their places among the best players of the decade. And two members of the New Orleans Saints made the cut, even if they both took their talents elsewhere before returning to the black and gold later in their careers. While the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shut out this time, the Atlanta Falcons joined their archrivals with two nominees of their own. 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: William Moore

Nov 17, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons strong safety William Moore (25) and teammates huddle up prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Team:Atlanta Falcons (2010 to 2015)
AV:33
Awards:Pro Bowler (1)
Score:36

Moore spent his entire seven-year career in Atlanta, assembling an impressive stat line: 16 interceptions, 37 passes defensed, 11 forced fumbles and 4 recoveries to go with 3.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 362 combined tackles across 74 regular season games, 72 of them starts. He was a ball hawk on the back end but his willingness to crash down in run support and hunt for the football made a big difference.

First team: Malcolm Jenkins

Dec 22, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) celebrates after making an interception during the first quarter of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Team: New Orleans Saints (2010 to 2013)
AV:29
Awards:All-Pro second team (1)
Score:34

He was only with the Saints for four years in this decade, but Jenkins made them count; look at his 5 interceptions, 33 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and 3 recoveries across 57 games, all starts. He also had 304 combined tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks while scoring three times on interception and fumble returns. Jenkins continued his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and went on to earn three Pro Bowl nods and his second Super Bowl ring, but he returned to close out his career with New Orleans in 2020 and 2021. Some Saints fans still haven't forgiven Jenkins for the role he played on a historically-bad 2012 defense or a heartbreaking fourth-quarter collapse in the 2011 playoffs, but it says a lot that he chose to end his career where it started while giving back so much to the community.

Second team: Thomas DeCoud

October 10, 2010; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud (28) intercepts a pass against Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The interception was called back due to an Atlanta penalty. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Teams:Atlanta Falcons (2010 to 2013) and Carolina Panthers (2014)
AV:29
Awards:Pro Bowler (1)
Score:32

DeCoud was a good player, if a bit limited (much like Roman Harper , who we'll get to in a minute). Half of his interceptions this decade came in a single season (2012) and he never had double-digit passes defensed, to go with just two forced fumbles and a recovery in 78 games. But he did have 351 combined tackles and started 62 of his 63 appearances in Atlanta before accepting a part-time role with the Panthers to close out his career.

Second team: Roman Harper

New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper (41) sacks St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) during the second half of their NFL football game in New Orleans, Louisiana December 12, 2010. New Orleans won the game 31-13. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

Team:New Orleans Saints (2010 to 2013, 2016), Carolina Panthers (2014 and 2015)
AV:24
Awards:Pro Bowler (1)
Score:27

Harper was another much-maligned member of that 2012 Saints team, and like Jenkins, he wasn't up to the task of covering Vernon Davis in the 2011 playoffs. But that's a misunderstanding of his talents. There wasn't a better pass-rushing defensive back in the division than him, as shown by his 11.5 sacks this decade (plus 9 forced fumbles and 5 recoveries, to go with 20 tackles for loss and a ridiculous 511 combined tackles), and his reliable tackling in the box basically gave the Saints an extra linebacker to deploy against the run. While he did step away for two years with Carolina, Harper returned for the 2016 season and helped lay the groundwork for the winningest four years in team history as a respected voice in the locker room.

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Photos from Saints DB Martin Emerson Jr.'s youth football camp

Young athletes run drills during his Youth Football Camp at Pine Forest High School Saturday, July 11, 2026, Emerson was on hand helping to run drills, engage with the youth, and provide hydration, giveaways, and lunch.

(John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal, John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)