Bucs' rivals are on the defensive

Except for the Buccaneers, the rest of the NFC South loaded up on defensive talent on the first day of the 2009 draft.

Division champion Carolina paid a heavy price for trading up to select FSU defensive end Everette Brown in the second round, then added Sherrod Martin, a rangy 6-foot-1 Troy standout who can play corner and safety.

Two days after dealing for 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons chose Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry with the 24th pick and drafted Missouri safety William Moore in the second round.

The Saints continued their annual pursuit of defensive backs who can cover by selecting Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins at No. 14. New Orleans hasn't had much luck landing viable corners, and the Saints have no intentions of switching Jenkins to safety.

"We see him as a corner," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "We see a player that has size, real good ball skills and toughness. When Malcolm was available, there wasn't any discussion."

The Saints didn't have a second-round pick, but they attempted to trade back into the opening round when Jenkins' Buckeye teammate, Chris "Beanie" Wells, kept sliding.

"He was the back that we liked," Payton acknowledged. "Because he lasted the way he did, we thought there was value with that pick."

But the Saints couldn't finalize a deal with the Patriots to move up before Wells was chosen by the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals at No. 31.

The Falcons appeared ecstatic after adding Jerry and Moore to a young, opportunistic defense.

Moore, a former prep receiver, picked off eight passes as a junior and registered 86 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2008. He could start immediately at safety in place of veteran Lawyer Milloy, who was not re-signed.

Jerry was considered the No. 2 defensive tackle available behind Boston College's B.J. Raji.

"Peria's country strong," Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff said. "He's a 1-gap guy with a high motor."

For the second consecutive year, the Panthers yielded a future first-round pick while trading up for a potential impact player. The 2008 gamble paid immediate dividends when tackle Jeff Otah became a rookie starter and played a key role in Carolina's third-ranked ground game.

This time, Carolina traded next year's top choice to the 49ers for the right to select Brown, who gives Carolina another dynamic pass rusher off the edge to complement Julius Peppers. Martin, a big hitter, could assume duties at safety or nickel back.