Who is the rising star in the NFC South?

NFC South Q&A: Who is division's rising star?ESPN.com staffJuly 15, 2015Today's question: Who is the rising star in the NFC South?Vaughn McClure, Atlanta Falcons: Saints second-year wide receiver Brandin Cooks should own that title. In 10 games as a rookie, Cooks had 53 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns while being targeted 70 times. He has 4.33 speed in the 40, so Cooks can blow by defenders in a heartbeat. He's also known for having great balance. Cooks should quickly evolve into Drew Brees' top target, and the two spent time together this offseason in San Diego working on developing that chemistry. "Man, I love everything about him, his makeup, and then just his physical ability," Brees said of Cooks. "He's got all kinds of talent." Opposing defensive coordinators will have to devise a game plan to shut down Cooks.David Newton, Carolina Panthers: Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans. He had 68 catches for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns last season in an offense ranked 30th in the NFL. Imagine how good he can be once he has an elite quarterback, which No. 1 draft pick Jameis Winston has a chance to be, in time. Evans (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) has the speed and strength to be one of the elite receivers in the NFL. He adjusts to the ball on the run as well as anybody. He can block, too. He does it all. No game last season showed what he is capable of more than a Week 11 win at Washington. Evans had seven catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns. If Evans had had Peyton Manning or Tom Brady throwing to him, he might have led the league in receiving.Mike Triplett, New Orleans Saints: I'll go with Evans, whom I already raved about in one of our previous roundtables. It's crazy to think he's still just 21, since the red zone monster looked like a man among boys last season. Coach Sean Payton and Saints players talked about how impressed they were by Evans' catch radius and ability to win balls at the highest point. Evans isn't alone, however: The NFC South took full advantage of a strong 2014 rookie receiver class. New Orleans' dynamic speedster Cooks and Carolina's big, physical Kelvin Benjamin also appear primed to be two of the division's top playmakers for years to come.Pat Yasinskas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Evans. At the end of a rookie season that featured 68 catches for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns, Evans said he wasn't happy with his play. He said there was room for improvement in everything from his route running to his blocking and vowed to get better. That's a scary thought for opposing defenses. But Evans has a point: He wasn't consistent last season. His only 100-yard receiving games came in a three-game stretch in the middle of the season. He put up big numbers despite bad quarterback play from Josh McCown and Mike Glennon. The arrival of Winston could give Evans a quarterback who can get him the ball a lot more often.