Last season Jacksonville locked up the division when Tennessee lost their final six games and Houston and Indianapolis had fewer wins combined than the Jags. Both the Texans and Colts will debut new quarterbacks this season while the Jaguars may have found their guy in Trevor Lawrence. The arrival of head coach Doug Peterson may have something to do with it. The Colts are hoping they found another Philly guy who can make their rookie quarterback one of the best in the league as well.
Houston Texans
The Texans hope to finally put their losing ways behind them under new head coach DeMeco Ryans and new quarterback CJ Stroud. The Texans made a big statement in the draft when they traded for the number three overall pick after taking Stroud at number two. The Texans grabbed Alabama defensive end, Will Anderson. The team might have found two long-term anchors on both sides of the ball.
Their success likely won’t be immediate, but they should be better than last season’s three-win team. The Texans have had a lot of turnover in recent seasons, however, they have managed to hold onto star left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsill will be blocking Stroud’s blind side which should, hopefully, make life a little easier as the rookie adjusts to the NFL. Houston will have two strong running backs competing for the starting position with Dameon Pierce and newly acquired Devin Singletary. There is potential there for them to be better, but the playoffs might still be a couple of seasons away.
Jacksonville Jaguars
It seems like Trevor Lawrence has shaken off those rookie blunders after throwing for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. During the team’s 7-2 run to end the season, we saw the guy who led Clemson to a national title leading this team. A lot of that can be attributed to head coach Doug Pederson’s arrival.
Last year’s division winner, the Jags had a really positive season including a playoff win at home that showed this team has true potential. Jacksonville is the only team in the division with a long-term solution at quarterback. The team upgraded their offense adding WR Calvin Ridley after he served a year-long suspension for gambling. Ridley could help take Jacksonville to the top of the AFC with the likes of Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Buffalo.
Indianapolis Colts
Last season things were interesting for Indy. After firing Frank Reich midseason the team hired fan-favorite and TV analyst Jeff Saturday, but he ultimately didn’t fair much better than Reich. Indy will welcome former Philadelphia offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach. After seeing Jalen Hurts light up the league that has to make Colts’ fans hopeful after a dreadful offensive season.
Due to injuries and a shaky offensive line, running back Jonathan Taylor regressed last season and is looking for a big bounce-back season. The team will really need left tackle Quentin Nelson to return to his All-Pro form from the first three years of his career. With rookie Anthony Richardson under center expect Taylor to get a ton of touches. The number four overall pick in this year’s draft has a high ceiling despite not having much playing experience. The team also signed Gardner Minshew, but if Richardson needs experience and you’re already not expecting much this season why not see what Richardson can do? Let him learn on the job from a top offensive mind in Steichen while gaining confidence in the league.
Tennessee Titans
Well, Tennessee made sure you didn’t forget about them after winning the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes. At Hopkins’ age, there’s no way he’s looking for another project. If he was he could’ve just stayed in Arizona and waited for Kyler Murray to get healthy. Tennessee must’ve convinced him that they are also in win-now mode. He will also get to play against the team that drafted him twice a year.
Unfortunately, the Titans finished last season on a six-game losing streak including to the Jags and Texans. Now with Hopkins on the field, Treylon Burks, the receiver Tennessee picked up with the Eagles’ pick when they traded AJ Brown to Philadelphia, could develop into a deep threat. That would be a fun storyline. Burks dealt with injuries last season, but when he was able to stay on the field he flashed potential including posting 111 receiving yards against Green Bay.
The best player in the AFC South continues to be Derrick Henry. Henry who is in the final year of his contract has led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns since 2020 and made Tennessee a playoff team. This could be the final Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry run for the Titans.
