1 | NEW ORLEANS

2017 | 11-5, first in South

Last year in playoffs | 2017

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

LT Terron Armstead: Armstead has missed parts of the past three seasons because of injuries and hasn’t played a full season in his five-year career. At 39, Drew Brees isn’t as elusive as he once was, so he needs reliable blind-side protection.

TE Benjamin Watson: The Saints are hoping the 37-year-old Watson has something left in the tank. They loved him in 2015, when he had 74 catches for 825 yards and six touchdowns with New Orleans. Can the former Raven match that?

DE Marcus Davenport: New Orleans traded up to draft him, hoping Davenport can provide some pass rush opposite Cameron Jordan. Many players have tried and failed.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

FS Marcus Williams: The memory of his blunder on the “Minnesota Miracle” won’t fade, but Williams had a great training camp. As a rookie, he had four interceptions in 15 starts.

DT David Onyemata: At the moment, he’s neck-and-neck with former first-round pick Sheldon Rankins as the team’s top nose tackle. Onyemata, a Nigeria native, played collegiately in that football hotbed of Manitoba, Canada.

WR Tre’Quan Smith: The Saints have high hopes for the third-round pick from Central Florida. He’ll challenge for playing time behind Mike Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr.

2 | ATLANTA

2017 | 10-6, third in South

Last year in playoffs | 2017

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Matt Ryan: The former NFL Most Valuable Player is also among the league’s highest paid, making an estimated $67.3 million last year, according to Forbes, a payoff that includes endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, IBM and Mercedes-Benz. Now he just needs a ring.

WR Julio Jones: His numbers weren’t to his liking last year, but he’s the only player besides Marvin Harrison to have four consecutive seasons with at least 1,400 yards receiving.

DE Vic Beasley Jr.: Pressuring the passer is key, especially in a division that includes Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Jameis Winston. Beasley had 15½ sacks in 2016 but saw that number dwindle to five last season.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

DE Takk McKinley: McKinley had a solid rookie season with six sacks and two forced fumbles. The Falcons are expecting a step up in production this season, however, and think bookends McKinley and Beasley can feed off each other.

TE Austin Hooper: Hooper had 49 catches last season but several bad drops too. He essentially spent the offseason in Ryan’s hip pocket, further forging a relationship with the quarterback who should use him as a safety valve.

LB De’Vondre Campbell: The versatile Campbell is excellent at blanketing tight ends, as well as at stopping the run. He had 61 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble last season.

3 | CAROLINA

2017 | 11-5, second in South

Last year in playoffs | 2017

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Cam Newton: The Panthers are hoping new offensive coordinator Norv Turner can position Newton to succeed and improve his accuracy. At least the quarterback is healthy. A year ago, he was coming off shoulder surgery.

T Matt Kalil: Kalil struggled with hip injuries throughout last season, residue from the surgery that ended his 2016 season. He had a bad start to his first month last season but improved as the year continued.

CB James Bradberry: This is Bradberry’s third year as a starter, and he has been more solid than spectacular. The Panthers need him to be a stabilizing force in a secondary that’s been a revolving door at various spots.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

WR DJ Moore: A first-round pick out of Maryland, Moore is the first Panthers receiver capable of making big plays after the catch since Steve Smith Sr.

LB Shaq Thompson: Thomas Davis has been so reliable, he has kept Thompson off the field quite a bit. Now that Davis will miss the first four games because of a suspension for a failed drug test, Thompson has a chance to emerge from his shadow.

TE Ian Thomas: With the Panthers losing No. 2 tight end Ed Dickson in free agency, the opportunity is there for this rookie. A fluid route runner, he should be a good complement to Greg Olsen.

4 | TAMPA BAY

2017 | 5-11, fourth in South

Last year in playoffs | 2007

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: The seasoned Fitzpatrick is taking the helm during Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension, and those are three tough matchups against division champions (and a Super Bowl winner): New Orleans, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Tampa’s backup went 2-1 as a starter last year, but those wins were against the subpar Dolphins and Jets.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul: At 29, can Pierre-Paul become Tampa Bay’s first double-digit sack performer since Simeon Rice in 2005?

CB Vernon Hargreaves: This is a make-or-break season for the 2016 first-round pick, who has one career interception. Tampa Bay didn’t select him that early to be a nickel corner.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

WR Chris Godwin: In his second year out of Penn State, Godwin has a chance to supplant DeSean Jackson, or at least challenge him as a top target.

DE Noah Spence: Shoulder injuries have hampered Spence the last two years, but he looked great as a rookie before he got hurt. He has beefed up to 260 pounds and is more durable than he was last season, when he dropped to 230.

S Justin Evans: Evans, who has good speed and range, reeled in three interceptions as a rookie in 2017, the first coming against New England star Tom Brady.

— Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times