All-NFC South Team of the 2000s: Several Saints man the offensive line

July 5, 2026, 7:55 a.m. CT

We’re finishing up our look at the offense on our NFC South All-Decade Team of the 2000s with the offensive line. The New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all had some impressive blockers paving the way in the aughts, but it was the Saints who won the most accolades. Here’s who made the cut.

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 All-NFC South offensive lineLT Jammal Brown. All-Pro first team (1), Pro Bowler (2), AV: 42. Score: 58New Orleans Saints (2005 to 2009)Brown was a first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, immediately starting at left tackle while earning two Pro Bowl selections in 2006 and 2008. He suffered an unfortunate knee injury in 2009 that opened the door for Jermon Bushrod to replace him but Brown was one of the NFL’s best blockers when healthy.LG Kynan Forney. AV: 37. Score: 37Atlanta Falcons (2002 to 2007)Forney joined the Falcons with much less fanfare as a seventh-round pick in 2001, but worked his way into the lineup and started 68 of the 80 games he appeared in with Atlanta, peaking as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2004 and 2005.C Todd McClure. AV: 61. Score: 61Atlanta Falcons (2002 to 2009)Many of Forney’s starts came next to Todd McClure, a former LSU Tiger and fellow seventh rounder, who went on to start 195 games and become an eventual member of the Falcons’ Ring of Honor. McClure is one of just eight players in NFL history to start at least 195 games and never be selected for a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team.Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.RG Jahri Evans. All-Pro first team (1), Pro Bowler (1), AV 46. Score: 59New Orleans Saints (2006 to 2009)Evans was a late arrival in the NFC South, having been drafted by the Saints out of little-known Bloomsburg in Pennsylvania with a fourth-round pick. And he was just getting started when he earned his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition at the end of the decade as a key member of the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning team.RT Jordan Gross. All-Pro first team (1), Pro Bowler (1), AV 55. Score: 68Carolina Panthers (2003 to 2009)Gross spent his entire career with the Panthers, arriving as a first-round pick in the 2003 draft and starting entire seasons at both left and right tackle; he still holds Carolina’s franchise record for the most career starts (167). He and McClure are, arguably, the faces of the NFC South offensive line for this decade.Second team All-NFC South offensive lineLT Jon Stinchcomb. Pro Bowler (1), AV: 41. Score: 44New Orleans Saints (2003 to 2009)Stinchcomb was initially a backup at both tackle spots for the Saints, but he became a starter at right tackle in 2006 and didn’t look back, earning a Pro Bowl nod during the team’s Super Bowl year. He may not have as many postseason honors as other guys on this list, but he was a key piece of a great Saints team.LG Mike Wahle. Pro Bowler (1), AV: 22. Score: 25Carolina Panthers (2005 to 2006)Wahle spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers but made the most of his time in Carolina, starting all 45 games in the regular season plus a three-game playoff run in 2005. You’d be hard-pressed to find many offensive linemen who made as big of an impact in as short of a time.C Jeff Faine. AV: 37. Score: 37New Orleans Saints (2006 to 2007) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008 to 2009)Faine joined the Saints as part of a rare trade down in the NFL draft and took over as the starting center for 2006 and 2007; he was a Pro Bowl alternate in his second year with the team. When he left the Saints the next season, he stayed in the division and signed with the Buccaneers. All told, Faine started all 50 games he appeared in for NFC South teams this decade (including the playoffs).RG Davin Joseph. Pro Bowler (1), AV: 24. Score: 27Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006 to 2009)Another former first-round pick, Joseph was a steady starter for the Buccaneers from the day he stepped into the building. He did miss some games with injuries but ultimately started 100 contests, including the playoffs. He was also a college teammate of Jammal Brown’s at Oklahoma.RT Todd Weiner. AV: 46. Score: 46Atlanta Falcons (2002 to 2008)Weiner joined the Falcons in the same year the NFC South was founded, and he started 96 of the 103 games he appeared almost exclusively at right tackle. He gave Atlanta a steady presence on the right side of their offensive line, making a good career for himself as a former Seattle Seahawks second-round pick.Honorable mention: G/C LeCharles Bentley. Pro Bowler (2), AV: 31. Score: 37New Orleans Saints (2002 to 2005)You could certainly make an argument for Bentley to be the pick instead of one of these other interior linemen. He pulled off the impressive feat of being chosen for two Pro Bowls at two different positions, but injuries were a problem for Bentley and eventually ended his career. He’s gone on to become one of the sport’s most sought-after personal trainers for linemen over the years.More All-NFC South Team of the 2000s