​One key metric we rely on is Approximate Value from Pro Football Reference. PFR defines AV as “an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year.” In practical terms, higher AV goes to players who start more games, amass more snaps, and contribute more to their team’s success by gaining yards, scoring touchdowns, creating turnovers, and sacking quarterbacks. We also assign point values to postseason honors: ten points for a first-team All-Pro, five for a second-team All-Pro, and three for a Pro Bowler. We then add these numbers together to form our composite score.
Remember, these are all-decade teams for the NFC South, a division that didn’t exist until 2002, and only contributions from the four teams within the division are included in our formula. Thus, Drew Brees earning a Pro Bowl nod with the San Diego Chargers in 2005 wouldn’t count toward his NFC South decade score.
In the 2010s, the Saints celebrated a landmark achievement, as captured when they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. For the Saints, we record an AV of 156, with All-Pro second team honors (2 points) and nine Pro Bowl selections (9 points), culminating in a total score of 193. Brees’s legacy is underscored by the fact that the only decade-era Pro Bowl omission he faced came in 2015, a year in which he still led the league in passing yards. He rebounded to throw for 5,208 yards in 2016 and led the NFL in passing success rate for four straight years. He stands as the highest-graded player of the decade, regardless of position, and remains the only quarterback on this list who is destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. From 2010 to 2019, Brees posted a 20-14 record against Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
Turning to Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ quarterback, he would contend for the division’s best quarterback this decade if not for Brees’s dominance. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 and showing steady development in 2009, Ryan’s production surged after Atlanta traded for Julio Jones and later brought in Kyle Shanahan. While Ryan didn’t add much with his legs—he ran for just nine rushing touchdowns over 2010–2019—he did help Atlanta set a franchise record for touchdown passes.
Meanwhile, the Panthers eyed a potential quarterback change as Cam Newton’s tenure with the team drew to a close. Newton’s peak came in 2015 when he was the league MVP, throwing 35 touchdown passes and rushing for another ten. Across his career, his performance was a mix of extraordinary athleticism and flashes of brilliance that kept him in the conversation for elite play, even as some seasons underscored the difficulty of sustaining that level of production.
These assessments illustrate how AV, All-Pro honors, and Pro Bowl selections combine to form a holistic view of a player’s impact over a decade within the NFC South. They also highlight the nuance of comparing players across positions and eras, while staying anchored to the four teams that defined the division’s competitive landscape during the 2010s.