The AFC South should be one of the most interesting divisions in the NFL this year. C.J. Stroud took the Houston Texans from worst to first last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars paid Trevor Lawrence to be their franchise quarterback, Shane Steichen breathed life into the Indianapolis Colts offense and the Tennessee Titans put together one of the best offseasons in the league.
This division features some of the best young talent in the NFL. The Texans boast the reigning Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, while the AFC South also has the youngest starting quarterbacks in the league. Will Levis is the oldest starting quarterback in this division, and he's entering his second season!
Let's attempt to rank every position group and coaching staff in the AFC South. First, we will address quarterback.
Quarterbacks
1. Texans (C.J. Stroud)
2. Jaguars (Trevor Lawrence)
3. Colts (Anthony Richardson)
4. Titans (Will Levis)
We'll give the nod to Stroud following his historic rookie season. He was the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history, and had the highest TD-INT ratio vs. winning teams in NFL history, including playoffs (21-2). Lawrence did sign a contract that tied the top AAV, but the NFL world is waiting for he and the Jags to take that next step. The more interesting conversation comes in with No. 3 and No. 4. Richardson flashed his Cam Newton-clone potential, but couldn't finish more than one game healthy in his rookie season. Plus, he's extremely raw, with limited starts since high school. Still, he's just 22 years old, and scored seven total touchdowns in four games played, while Levis recorded nine total touchdowns in nine games played. Richardson is actually one of just four players in NFL history to throw at least three passing touchdowns and rush for three touchdowns in his first four career games.
Levis clearly has massive potential with his arm talent, and Tennessee worked hard to surround him with pieces. He understands he has to take advantage of this opportunity in 2024. It's possible all four AFC South teams have their quarterbacks of the future.
Running backs
1. Colts (Jonathan Taylor)
2. Jaguars (Travis Etienne)
3. Titans (Tony Pollard OR Tyjae Spears)
4. Texans (Joe Mixon)
Injuries have held Taylor back over the past couple seasons, but he scored at least one touchdown in his final six games played last year, and finished the season with a whopping 188 rushing yards and one touchdown on 30 carries in the regular-season finale vs. Houston. Taylor has averaged at least 74 rushing yards per game in all four of his NFL seasons, and is tied for fourth in having the most yards per touch by a running back over the past four seasons (5.3).
Is Etienne underrated at this point? He avoided more tackles than any other player in the NFL last season with 89, and finished fifth in scrimmage yards with 1,484. It's a new era in Tennessee now that Derrick Henry is a Raven. Pollard and Spears are going to be a legitimate one-two punch for new coach Brian Callahan, and the latter racked up 838 scrimmage yards in 2023, which actually ranked No. 10 among all rookies.
Mixon is the veteran of the group, and while I have him ranked fourth on this list, he's still a much-needed upgrade for the Texans. Mixon rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals last year, and has the third-most touchdowns from scrimmage over the past three seasons with 37.
Wide receivers
1. Texans (Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell)
2. Titans (DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd)
3. Colts (Michael Pittman Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Josh Downs)
4. Jaguars (Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr.)
The Texans arguably have the best WR trio in the NFL with the addition of Diggs. Collins had his breakout campaign in 2023 with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He became just the third player in Texans franchise history to record 1,200 receiving yards in a season, and averaged the second-most yards per route run in the NFL (3.1). As for the slot weapon Dell? He was on track to be the best rookie wideout in Texans franchise history before a season-ending injury took him down.
The Titans constructed another one of the best WR trios with the additions of Ridley and Boyd. Ridley is someone who can stretch the field, Boyd is a well-known slot artist and Hopkins is Levis' trusted No. 1, as he caught 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season with the Titans. The Colts have an intriguing group of wideouts with the addition of AD Mitchell, who led the Big 12 in receiving touchdowns last season with 11. Pittman had a career year with 1,152 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while Downs caught 68 passes for 771 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL season.
The Jaguars wide receiving corps actually wasn't the dynamic group Jacksonville was hoping for in 2023, and it has been revamped for 2024. Kirk missed five games due to injury, but still averaged a career-high 65.6 receiving yards per game, then the former Bill Gabe Davis is a deep-ball threat. The first-round pick Thomas could be a potential star. He led the FBS with 17 receiving touchdowns last season.
Tight ends
1. Jaguars (Evan Engram)
2. Texans (Dalton Schultz
3. Titans (Chig Okonkwo)
4. Colts (Kylen Granson)
Evan Engram caught a whopping 114 passes for 963 yards and four touchdowns last season. His 114 receptions are the second-most ever recorded in a single season in Jaguars franchise history, and also the second-most receptions ever recorded by a tight end. Schultz caught 59 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with Houston, and re-signed with the team this offseason.
We have the versatile Okonkwo listed as the Titans' TE1, but Josh Whyle could be the more "traditional" tight end in Callahan's scheme. As for the Colts, Jelani Woods is expected to miss multiple months due to a toe injury, so Granson and Mo Alie-Cox will be Richardson's security blankets.
Offensive lines
1. Colts
2. Jaguars
3. Texans
4. Titans
The Colts may have found their left tackle of the future in Bernhard Raimann, who plays opposite of a very good right tackle in Braden Smith. Four-time All-Pro Quenton Nelson holds down the left guard spot, and Ryan Kelly is at center with Will Fries to his right.
The Jaguars offensive line was not one of the best units in the league last year, but the addition of Mitch Morse should help. Right guard Brandon Scherff is a five-time Pro Bowler, trade-deadline acquisition Ezra Cleveland was extended this offseason, Anton Harrison showed potential in his first year, then Cam Robinson and "sixth man" Walker Little are pretty good players as well.
The Jaguars' line dealt with some injuries last year, just like Houston's offensive front. The Texans' line is headlined by one of the best left tackles in the game with Laremy Tunsil. Right tackle Tytus Howard and Shaq Mason make up a solid right side, while Houston has young players on the interior with Kenyon Green and Juice Scruggs.
The Titans had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in 2023, but made some upgrades with Lloyd Cushenberry at center, and hopefully first-round pick JC Latham at left tackle. The area for concern is on the right side with Dillon Radunz and Nicholas Petit-Frere. However, Tennessee did employ one of the best offensive line coaches in the league this offseason in Bill Callahan.
Defensive line (interior)
1. Colts (DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart)
2. Titans (Jeffery Simmons, T'Vondre Sweat)
3. Jaguars (Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton)
4. Texans (Foley Fatukasi, Mario Edwards Jr.)
The Pro Bowler Buckner recorded eight sacks and 81 combined tackles to go with 21 QB hits in 2023. His 343 tackles since 2019 rank second among all defensive linemen. Stewart is a solid running mate, as he recorded 41 tackles and eight QB hits in 11 games played last year. PFF ranked their top 32 interior defensive linemen entering 2024, and the Colts were the only AFC South team to have both of theirs included.
The combination of Simmons and Sweat in Tennessee has the potential to be lethal. Simmons, who is a two-time All-Pro, is one of the best defensive tackles in the game, and now gets to work alongside the Outland Trophy winner and reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. At 6-foot-4, 360-ish pounds, Sweat possesses a different kind of athleticism, and flashed his potential to not only plug running lanes, but also get after the quarterback in his final preseason action.
Armstead was a necessary addition for Jacksonville. He recorded five sacks and 13 QB hits for the San Francisco 49ers in 12 games played last year, but hasn't played a full season since 2021. Hamilton played in just eight games last season due to injury, but had a career year in 2022 with 56 combined tackles, six QB hits and 2.5 sacks.
The Texans were excited about the addition of the versatile Denico Autry, but he has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy. Fatukasi is a reliable veteran who played for Jacksonville last season, recording 24 tackles in 16 games.
EDGE
1. Texans (Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter)
2. Jaguars (Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker)
3. Colts (Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu)
4. Titans (Harold Landry, Arden Key)
Anderson lived up to his billing as the No. 3 overall pick, recording 45 tackles, seven sacks and 22 QB hits in 15 games played last year. He recorded the third-most pressures by a rookie over the last five seasons with 59, which was enough to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. DeMeco Ryans wasn't satisfied with just one star pass rusher, so Houston went out and grabbed another in free agency with Hunter. The 29-year-old recorded a whopping 16.5 sacks last season, and has registered 62 sacks over the last five years.
Hines-Allen is coming off a career year in which he recorded 17.5 sacks, which set a Jaguars franchise record, and tied for second-most in the league. He accounted for 44% of Jacksonville's sacks last season. Don't sleep on former No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker either. He recorded 10 sacks, 52 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 19 QB hits in his second NFL season.
One of my favorite stats from last year is that the Colts had four different players who recorded at least eight sacks. No other team had that many. However, Indy's pass rush group did take a hit when Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles. Paye did record a career-high 8.5 sacks last season, and Indy drafted Latu in the first round, who had the highest pressure rate in the FBS in 2023 (21.4%). But I don't want to ignore the fact that he had to medically retire in the past due to a neck injury.
For the Titans, Landry returned from a torn ACL and registered 10.5 sacks plus 21 QB hits last season to go along with 70 combined tackles. Key on the other hand, who signed a three-year deal with the Titans last offseason, recorded 30 combined tackles, 12 QB hits, six sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended in 17 games played in 2023.
Linebackers
1. Jaguars (Foye Oluokun)
2. Colts (Zaire Franklin)
3. Titans (Ernest Jones)
4. Texans (Christian Harris)
This was a tough call to make. Franklin recorded a career-high 179 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks last year for the Colts, but Oluokun is one of the league's premier tackling monsters. He has recorded at least 173 combined tackles in each of the last three seasons, leading the NFL with 192 tackles as a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, then successfully defended his crown in 2022 with 184 takedowns. He also led the league in solo tackles in 2022 and 2023. Oluokun played 99.7% of defensive snaps last year. Only two NFL defenders played more.
The Titans just traded for Jones, who may not be the green-dot player immediately, but he's coming off a career year in 2023 where he recorded 145 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and six passes defended. He fits Dennard Wilson's system perfectly as an inside backer who can pressure the quarterback. In his second NFL season, Houston's Harris recorded 101 combined tackles, two sacks and seven passes defended. In the wild-card round vs. Cleveland, he made eight tackles, recorded one sack and had a pick six as well. He's not a household name, but Texans fans certainly love him. He's only going to get better.
Cornerbacks
1. Titans (L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie)
2. Texans (Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter)
3. Jaguars (Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby)
4. Colts (Kenny Moore, JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones)
Once a major weakness for the Titans has turned into, dare I say, strength? Tennessee went out and signed two new starters at corner in Sneed and Awuzie. Sneed is one of two NFL players to record two interceptions and five tackles for loss in each of the past three seasons, and he led the NFL in yards per attempt allowed in 2023 (4.7). Tennessee also has a solid nickel in Roger McCreary, and an intriguing rookie in Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
The Texans upgraded their cornerback room as well, spending their first draft pick on Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter. He figures to start opposite of another SEC product in Stingley, who has five interceptions over his last eight games, and is going to surprise people in 2024.
The Jags have a CB1 in Campbell, but he missed six games in 2023 due to multiple injuries, and logged a career-low five passes defended. Free agent addition Darby should start opposite of Campbell. The 30-year-old is playing for his third team in as many years. The Colts have a couple of young cornerbacks starting outside in Brents and Jones. Then there's Moore, who is one of the best slot defenders in the league.
Safeties
1. Texans (Jalen Pitre, Jimmie Ward)
2. Jaguars (Andre Cisco, Darnell Savage)
3. Titans (Amani Hooker, Quandre Diggs)
4. Colts (Nick Cross, Julian Blackmon)
We'll give the edge to the Texans here, as Pitre is a young talent while Ward is a savvy vet. Unfortunately, he played in just 10 games last season, and is now 33 years old. If it wasn't the Texans, I would probably take the Jaguars as having the best safety room in the division. Cisco recorded a career-high four interceptions last season, and will now play alongside the versatile Savage, who has flashed at times.
The Titans not only added Diggs to pair with Hooker, but Jamal Adams as well. Imagine him as the "big nickel" or dime linebacker who can also operate as a blitzer. As for the Colts, Blackmon recorded 88 combined tackles and four interceptions in 2023. The young Cross may be his running mate.
Special teams
1. Titans (Nick Folk, Ryan Stonehouse)
2. Texans (Ka'imi Fairbairn, Tommy Townsend)
3. Colts (Matt Gay, Rigoberto Sanchez)
4. Jaguars (Cam Little, Logan Cooke)
The Titans win our special teams competition, as Nick Folk led the league by making 96.7% of his field goals in 2023, while Stonehouse is arguably the best punter in the NFL. He's led the league in yards per punt in both of his NFL seasons.
While Folk finished first in field goal percentage last year, Fairbairn came in second at 96.4%. The punter Townsend is new to the Texans, but was a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2022. Gay didn't have the best 2023 season, hitting 80.5% of his field goals, which ranked No. 27. Sanchez ranked 12th in yards per punt with 48.3. Jacksonville selected Little in the sixth round out of Arkansas earlier this year after he was named First Team All-SEC in 2023, while Cooke will punt in Jacksonville for the sixth year.
Coaches
1. Texans (DeMeco Ryans, Bobby Slowik, Matt Burke)
2. Jaguars (Doug Pederson, Press Taylor, Ryan Nielsen)
3. Colts (Shane Steichen, Jim Bob Cooter, Gus Bradley)
4. Titans (Brian Callahan, Nick Holz, Dennard Wilson)
It's wildly impressive what Ryans pulled off in his first season as coach. He took a 3-13-1 team to 10-7, won a crucial regular-season finale on the road to make the playoffs and blew out the NFL Coach of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year in that playoff matchup. Ryans also produced the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, while offensive coordinator Slowik received some head-coaching interviews. It was just one year, but I'll take that staff as the top dog in the South.
Pederson has a Super Bowl ring, but the Jags disappointed late in 2023 after Lawrence's injuries and the defensive struggles. The Jaguars did make what I believe is a great hire in Nielsen at defensive coordinator, who took the Falcons defense from No. 27 to No. 11, and doubled their sack total in one year. The Jaguars have put together two straight winning seasons, which is nothing to sneeze at, but I do wonder how Pederson will be viewed if the Jaguars tread water this year in an improving division.
The offensive-mind who helped turn the Philadelphia Eagles into a contender waltzed into Indy and took the third-worst scoring offense to No. 10 in the league, and the No. 27 offense in terms of total yards per game to No. 15. Oh, and he did this without his starting quarterback. Steichen just promoted Gardner Minshew after Richardson went down, and sent him on to the Pro Bowl. Steichen also turned Zack Moss into a fantasy football surprise, and got Pittman Jr. paid with a career campaign. He has a bright future in Indy.
I probably have to put the new guys at No. 4 by default, but there are several reasons for football fans in Nashville to be optimistic. After back-to-back bottom five offensive seasons, the Titans hired an offensive-minded coach who has worked with several notable quarterbacks during different stages of their careers, such as Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow. There has been a clear shift in philosophy when it comes to roster construction as well, with Tennessee investing in weaponry all across the board. Defensively, the Titans may have found a gem in their new defensive coordinator, Wilson. His track record with defensive backs speaks for itself, and he will run an aggressive system that's fun to watch.
Final tally
Out of 12 first-place votes
1. Texans: 5
2. Colts: 3
t-3. Titans and Jaguars: 2
