Tag: jacksonville-jaguars

2026 AFC South Preview

Houston Texans

The Texans finished a game behind the Jaguars last season in the division and made the playoffs.  They had an elite defense and if CJ Stroud hadn’t melted down in the playoffs, they would have gone much further.  They are hoping some changes along the offensive line, the return of Tank Dell, and the second year in Nick Caley’s offense can get the offense back on track.  The defense might be even better this year than they were last year, that’s a scary thought if you’re the rest of the AFC. 

QB CJ Stroud is at a pivotal point in his career as the Texans have to decide what to do with his contract situation soon.  He’s going into year four and the team will have his fifth-year option, but they need to know if he’s going to be good enough when it counts.  The defense is Super Bowl level at this point; Stroud has to be a big part of making the offense good enough to get there.  His playoff meltdown could have been just a bad run or it’s who he is when the lights are brightest.  I think with a better run game and improved offensive line, we will see the real Stroud this season. 

The passing game was set to have Nico Collins leading the way with Jayden Higgins ready to break out and for Tank Dell to return as one of Stroud’s favorite targets.  Higgins went down with an ACL tear, and Dell isn’t ready to return to start the season.  His horrific knee injury from 2024 is keeping him out. Now they will be counting on Kayshon Boutte, who they recently traded for and Jaylin Noel, who is also dealing with injury issues.  Collins can carry a heavy load, but he will need some help.  Boutte can be a real player, but he’s barely been there to learn the offense.  Dalton Schultz isn’t a play maker at TE but he’s a solid veteran. 

The offensive line has had another makeover with only LT Aireontae Ersery and RG Ed Ingram returning as starters from last year’s overhauled unit.  They brought in aging veterans RT Braden Smith and LG Wyatt Teller.  Smith is starting the season on IR and Teller is a backup.  Rookie Keylan Rutledge was drafted in round one with the thought he could be their starting center, instead he’ll start at LG.  He brings power and nastiness to the interior but he’s still a rookie.  They signed Evan Brown as interior depth but he’ll start at center for now.  Trent Brown is still hanging around and he holds onto the RT job until Braden Smith gets healthy, and maybe past that. 

The biggest upgrade this offense made this off season was trading for RB David Montgomery from Detroit. Montgomery isn’t flashy but he’s far more consistent than anyone the Texans had last year at RB.  He can bring power to the run game they just didn’t have.  Woody Marks handled the job at the end of last season but he’s not an every down back.  Marks now becomes the change-of-pace player he’s meant to be.  Montgomery’s arrival makes the whole position better and will take a lot of pressure off Stroud. 

The defense was fantastic last year, and DC Matt Burke deserves a lot of credit after he took over play calling on that side of the ball.  DeMeco Ryans is a brilliant defensive mind but allowing Burke to take over so Ryans could focus on being the head coach really helped the group overall.  They return everyone from last year’s team and the only change is S Reed Blankenship coming over from Philadelphia. 

The defense starts up front with DE Will Anderson Jr. being the tone setter and DE Danielle Hunter being an absolute menace off the edge.  Sheldon Rankins seems to fit the Texans style as well as anyone can, and he excels playing in Houston.  Tommy Togiai stepped up last season as the big body inside but he’s going to have to fend off rookie Kayden McDonald, who can be a real game wrecker.  If that wasn’t enough, the Texans added veterans DE Jadeveon Clowney, DT Logan Hall, and DE Dominique Robinson to strengthen their depth.  This defensive front is stacked. 

MLB Azeez Al-Shaair and LB Henry To’o To’o are not the scariest pair of LBs in football, but they are in a great situation behind that defensive front.  They play their positions well and don’t get beat.  They tackle everything that gets through and are always in position.  They aren’t making Pro Bowls, but they’re good players.

The secondary isn’t as deep as the front four is now, but they have elite talent.  CB Derek Stingley is one of the top three CBs in football.  He’s able to match up with any receiver in the league and that’s as valuable as any CB can possibly be.  CB Kamari Lassiter may not be as good as Stingley but don’t tell him that.  He plays with a confidence and an edge not many CBs have.  He’s continued to get better every year, and he and Stingley might be the best CB duo in the game.  Jalen Pitre never quite fit as a true safety but he found his place as their nickel player.  He excels there and makes their defense work.  Calen Bullock was a steal in the third round of the draft a couple of years ago and he’s a good starter at SS.  Reed Blankenship comes in at FS and while he isn’t the best FS in football, he’s a smart, instinctive player who should be awesome in this defense. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars won the division last season and while their offense should continue to grow in Liam Coen’s second season, there are issues on defense and maybe a question or two on offense to sort out.  It took a little time last year, but Coen got the offense working once WR Jakobi Meyers showed up.  The best thing that happened to the coaching staff was defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile not getting a head coaching job, he did a great job last season. 

Trevor Lawrence looked good in Coen’s offense once he had some WRs he could trust.  The trade for Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline last season was the key.  Before that, Brian Thomas Jr. was simply not good, and Travis Hunter was a non-factor.  Lawrence really didn’t trust anyone but Parker Washington and RB Travis Etienne.  Once Meyers arrived the offense found another gear.   Lawrence has always been a talented player but for the first time in his career, the offensive scheme, the play caller, and the talent around him, all meshed together. 

At WR, Parker Washington became Lawrence’s go-to WR.  His ability to get open, run the right routes, and simply be reliable are elite.  Jakobi Meyers turned out to be the key that unlocked the offense because he catches everything and he took some of the defensive attention away from Washington.  Now Coen needs to figure out how to get Brian Thomas Jr. back to being the guy he was as a rookie.  BTJ is a supremely talented WR who brings a different dimension than Washinton or Meyers due to his size and deep speed.  If Coen can unlock Thomas, this offense finds fifth gear and the Jaguars passing game will be flying.  Travis Hunter will still get to play some at WR but he’s moving to CB as his primary position.   

The offensive line was better under Coen last year than it had been but apparently the coaching staff had some different ideas from last year.  Anton Harrison had to fill in at LT early in training camp due to some injury issues and now he’s flipping full-time from RT to LT.  The injury issue was with Cole Van Lanan who stepped in for Walker Little at LT last year, now Little is slated for RT with Van Lanan as the swing tackle.  Those aren’t the only moving parts. Ezra Cleveland is moving RG from LG and rookie Emmanuel Pregnon will be the LG.  That leaves Patrick Makari, who was a big free agent signing of theirs a year ago, coming off the bench once he’s healthy.  That means the only starter from last year playing the same spot is C Robert Hainsey.  If all these changes work, Coen will look like an even bigger offensive genius. 

The running game last year was built around Travis Etienne and he was excellent.  He got a huge contract in the off season in New Orleans so now it’s up to Bhayshul Tuten to step up.  Tuten flashed some skill last year, but he’ll be a much bigger part of the plan now.  Chris Rodriguez Jr., who played at Kentucky for Coen, was signed to give them a guy with more size because Tuten is a smaller back.  LeQuint Allen Jr. is the third down back they like.  This is very likely to be a committee approach for the Jaguars. 

Anthony Campanile came in last year, took pretty much the same players the Jaguars had before, and turned them into a pretty good defense.  Now, almost everyone returns but there are a couple of changes, and the team expects Campanile to do it again.  I’m not saying he can’t but losing Devin Lloyd isn’t going to be easy to replace.

The front four is led by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker at DE.  While neither of them had the individual seasons they would hope to have, the defense was still good.  If these two can increase their sack totals the defense will be even better.  At DT, Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton return.  While Armstead isn’t the dominant player, he once was, he’s still an affective player.  Hamilton does his job too.  The team traded for Ruke Orhorhoro from Atlanta.  He wasn’t good for the Falcons, but they are hoping a change of scenery unlocks him.  At least he adds some youth to the group inside.   

The LB group took a major hit when Devin Lloyd signed in Carolina.  He was the heart and soul of the defense and leader in the middle.  Foyesade Oluokun returns but they are counting on Ventrell Miller to really step up his game.  They know they need more than that so they signed Jahlani Tavai as veteran free agent who at least brings some playing experience to the group.  If the front four drops off at all, this LB group could struggle. 

The secondary found a player in Montaric Brown who had a breakout season last year.  He played well at one outside CB spot, and they re-signed him to keep him there.  Travis Hunter will still get some plays at WR but he’s going to become a full-time CB this year and should be the starter opposite Brown.  This should have been the play with him from the start but better late than never.  Jourdan Lewis played well at nickel last season so that leaves Jarrion Jones as a nice depth piece.  Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray are the most non-descript safety tandem I can think of, but they were fine there last year.  With Hunter playing CB full-time, they upgraded the talent level at that spot so that should help. 

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts offense was awesome for about eight weeks last season and then fell off a cliff.  They were hoping they could recreate that magic by bringing back Daniel Jones despite his torn Achilles.  Jones seems to have made a miraculous recovery and looks like he’ll start in week 1.  The problem is the rest of the passing game is house of cards and pieces are falling quickly.  Jonathan Taylor is a work horse, but it may be too much even for him.  The defense has some massive holes to fill and major questions filling them. 

Daniel Jones must be superhuman given his ridiculous timeline coming back from the torn Achilles tendon.  However, we don’t know what he will look like on the field and how good he might be.  The offense started to fall apart last season before he tore the Achilles but after he suffered other injuries that compromised his athleticism.  Just because he’s ready to play week one, that doesn’t mean he’ll be the guy he was before the injuries last year. 

At WR, the Colts traded away their most consistent player in Michael Pittman Jr. in order to save some money to re-sign Alec Pierce.  Pierce is a big-time playmaker down the field but he had surgery, after he signed his major deal, and still hasn’t returned to the field since.  The team signed Keenan Allen late in camp hoping to bring in a vet who could acclimate quickly.  He once played for Shane Steichen when Steichen was the Chargers OC.  He’s still a useful player but he just got picked up for drunk driving after the last pre-season game.  Josh Downs is banged up, and he might be their most reliable WR to start the season.  Early on, it may be Ashton Dulin time again.  At TE, Tyler Warren is an excellent player be he may have to shoulder a lot of responsibility in this offense early in the year.

The offensive line was good last year, and four of five starters return.  LT Bernhard Raimann has developed into a very good player.  LG Quenton Nelson may not be the dominant force he once was at his peak but he’s still a very good player.  C Tanor Bortalini and RG Matt Goncalves stepped in as starters last year after the team lost Ryan Kelly and Will Fries.  They had planned on that transition to get younger on the line.  This year, they let RT Braden Smith leave and are counting on Jalen Travis to step in.  Travis was a fourth-round pick in 2025, and they are hoping he develops like their other young guys.  There is no reason to doubt that he will.

The running game is in the capable hands of Jonathan Taylor who is one of the best RBs in the league.  He was incredible to start the season last year and they hope he can do that all year this year.  Taylor can be an absolutely dominant runner and can certainly carry a heavy load.   The team drafted Seth McGowan in round seven this year to go with DJ Giddens from last year’s draft to back up Taylor.  Neither one will be counted on to do much, but McGowan has some upside.

The defense is where this team could fall apart.  Lou Anarumo is a smart defensive coordinator but there are some major questions for him to answer with his front seven. The secondary has a chance to be excellent if everyone stays healthy but if they can’t find a pass rush or their LBs are getting run over, it won’t matter how good the defensive backfield is. 

Up front, DE Laiatu Latu is by far their best pass rusher and while he more than doubled his rookie year sack total last year in year two, he still only had 8.5 sacks.  They signed Arden Key to give them a veteran opposite him but he’s not a big sack guy either.  Jaylahn (formerly JT) Tuimoloua didn’t contribute much last year as a rookie, he’s the third end. It would be helpful if DeForest Buckner could stay healthy all season but he’s a 32-year-old DT who’s played a lot of games in his career.  DT Grover Stewart is the other DT and he’s even older (he’ll be 33 this season).  Guys like these two don’t tend to get healthier with age.  There’s not much depth here and if either of the starters goes down, this defense could get ugly. 

The LB corps is on even shakier ground than the front four.  I was a big fan of CJ Allen as a prospect, and he has upside as a starter at MLB.  However, he’s a rookie and playing behind a suspect defensive front can be challenging for rookie LBs, just ask the Bengals.  An even bigger issue is their next best LB is probably fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher who could start next to Allen.  They have veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither, who played in Cincinnati for Anarumo but he’s not a great option, just a more experienced one. 

The secondary can be the strength of the defense if their CB group is healthy.  They traded multiple picks for CB Sauce Gardner last year and he promptly got injured and never really contributed.  Charvarius Ward is their other outside starter and he’s good, but he’s been banged up too.  The guy they are counting on to be the slot guy is Justin Walley, a draft pick from 2025 they really love but he missed his rookie year with a knee injury.  Cam Bynum is exactly the type of high football IQ safety Anarumo loves, and he can be excellent in this defense.  Rookie AJ Haulcy got a chance in training camp to play with the starters due to some injuries, and it looks like he’s taken over the starting job opposite Bynum.

Tennessee Titans

To say the Titans are in a transition year would be a major understatement.  Robert Saleh gets his second chance at being a head coach and he’s counting on Brian Daboll to get the offense going.  Saleh has some players to work with on defense, and they shouldn’t be bad on that side, I’m not saying they will be good, but they shouldn’t be bad.  The offense has some questions, the line has some holes, the WR group might have issues, and the RBs are average. 

Brian Daboll’s top priority is getting Cam Ward going in the right direction.  Ward has a ton of physical talent, and the guy does not lack for confidence.  He’ll try any throw, but he needs guys to make plays on the other end.  If Daboll can give him some easy throws and make the offense simpler and easier, it would allow Ward to use his physical gifts more. 

The hope is that Wan’Dale Robinson can come in and be as productive as he was in New York last season under Daboll.  Robinson isn’t going to be a game breaker, but he should give Ward someone to trust in this offense.  Carnell Tate was drafted very high (too high for me anyway) so they are counting on him to give them a playmaker outside.  Robinson should be the slot guy; they need Tate to give them a real threat on the edge.  Calvin Ridley is still here so he’s going to play but he’s aging like milk at this point and can’t be counted on for too much.  Gunnar Helm is the starting TE and he’s fine, but Daboll brought in Daniel Bellinger from the Giants too and perhaps he’ll add a solid target to the equation. 

The offensive line is where things could go very wrong.  They overpaid LG Dan Moore last season so he’s still here and he’ll start.  He’s not terrible but that’s about the best you can say about him.  LG Peter Skoronski is very good, and the Titans gave him a contract extension.  At least one spot on the line is settled.  C Austin Schlottman was in New York with Daboll too and he comes in and gets the starting spot by default; they don’t have anyone better.  Fernando Carmona Jr., a fifth-round rookie, won the RG job out of camp, that’s not a good thing.  JC Latham will return at RT and I’m not sure that’s a good thing either.  He was not good last year and he’s dangerously close to bust territory.  The offensive line doesn’t have much depth, if it did, some of these guys wouldn’t be starting. 

Tony Pollard had the quietest 1000-yard season for a RB ever.  He’s 29 and the Titans are going to try to squeeze at least another solid year out of him.  It would help if they gave him an offensive line to run behind but that’s a problem for next year.  Tyjae Spears was banged up last year and didn’t do much of note.  He’s back but the team drafted Nick Singleton in the draft.  Singleton is a great athlete who could add some pop to this RB group.  They could use that.

On defense, Robert Saleh came in, saw what they had, and started cleaning house.  He runs a different scheme than they had been running so a lot of guys didn’t fit.  He’s significantly overhauled the whole unit, now the question is are the new guys any good? 

Saleh started by trading NT T’Vondre Sweat for DE Jermaine Johnson from the Jets.  Sweat didn’t fit Saleh’s preferred DT mold and Johnson gives him an edge rusher he likes.  Johnson was hurt last year so he’s looking for a bounce back season before hitting free agency.  The Titans signed John Franklin-Myers at DT, he fits Saleh’s scheme quite well.  He’ll partner with the one guy Saleh did keep, DT Jeffrey Simmons.  Simmons is one of the best DTs in football, and it doesn’t matter what scheme he’s playing in, he’s a stud.  Jacob Martin is the other starter at DE; he’s mostly a pass rusher but the team invested in some depth so that should work.  Rookie DE Keldric Faulk, and free agent DTs Solomon Thomas and Jordan Elliott give the defensive front some depth they can really use. 

At LB, Cody Barton seems to have held off second-round pick Anthony Hill Jr. in the middle.  That bodes well for Barton and this defense, but I doubt the competition is over.  Hill is likely the future at the position.  Cedric Gray played well last season and Saleh loves a good LB so if Gray is keeping his starting job, that’s good for him.  Hill and James Williams Sr. give the defense depth and options at LB. 

The secondary got a facelift at CB, but the safeties are back.  Amani Hooker returns at SS; he should work well in Saleh’s defense.  He’s a guy who can come up in the box and support the run.  Kevin Winston Jr. is the FS; he’s a former third-round pick who has some skill.  It will be interesting to see how Saleh uses him.  The team signed Alontae Taylor to be their new top CB.  He played well in New Orleans for the past few years but he’s new to being CB1 full-time.  Another New York Giant followed Daboll to Tennessee, CB Cor’Dale Flott had a good year in New York, and the Titans need him to do it again.  This isn’t a deep secondary, but they spend a lot a time and money fixing other units, they can’t fix everything in one off season.      

2025 AFC South Preview

Houston Texans

DeMeco Ryans was unhappy with the offense last season so he fired OC Bobby Slowik along with their offensive line coach and hired Nick Caley, who is coming from the Rams.  Caley spent the last few seasons under Seah McVay and before that spent a number of years in New England so he has a varied offensive background.  The defense was excellent last season and Ryans is looking to build on that on that side of the ball. 

QB CJ Stroud had a sophomore slump compared to his rookie season but then again, his rookie season was great so it’s all relative.  The offense was pedestrian at best with unimaginative play calling, an offensive line that was awful, and a WR group that was thinned out by injury.  WR Nico Collins is one of the best in the league but by the end of last season he was a one-man show.  Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell both got injured and the team decided to be sure they aren’t short-handed this year.  Diggs is gone and Dell’s injury was late in the year and devastating so no one’s sure when he’ll be back and they probably aren’t counting on it this year.  The Texans traded for Christian Kirk to start in the slot.  They drafted Jayden Higgins and he’ll start at the X.  Collins, Higgins, and Kirk are a good trio for Stroud.  They didn’t stop there, they drafted Jaylin Noel, he backs up Kirk. They signed Justin Watson from Kansas City; he’ll back up Higgins.  And they still have Xavier Hutchinson and Braxton Barrios too.  TE Dalton Schultz is a solid player and is backed by Cade Stover.

The offensive line was abysmal last year so they turned it over completely this off season.  Initially the plan was replacing Laremy Tunsil at LT with Cam Robinson but rookie second rounder Aireontae Ersery beat out Robinson.  That’s good news since Robinson is a replacement level player only.  Tytus Howard was supposed to be one of the guards but he’s taken the RT spot from Blake Fisher.  Fisher was pretty awful last year so it’s not surprising.  At guard, they have Laken Tomlinson on the left side and Ed Ingram on the right.  Those two were terrible in Seattle and Minnesota respectively last year so they have to be hoping they will be better in Caley’s offense, that’s a major bet they’re making.  At center they had both Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs, guys who have started before, but it’s former Patriots’ castoff Jake Andrews who won the job out of camp.  Andrews is a talented player who was just never healthy in New England.  He might be an upgrade if he can stay healthy. 

RB Joe Mixon carried the load last year but he’s already hurt and it’s not apparent when he’ll be ready to play.  Nick Chubb is his backup but reports from camp are he looks slow coming off his injuries.  Dameon Peirce has been underwhelming which leaves rookie Woody Marks looking to carry the load, that’s not ideal. Someone is going to have to be the RB here, it’s just not clear who’s going to take the job.   

The Texans’ defense has been good under DeMeco Ryans and last year they were very good.  The front is led by DE Danielle Hunter and DE Will Anderson Jr.  They are a dynamic pair off the edge but they need a little more help inside.  A healthy return for guys like Folorunso Fatukasi and Denico Autry would help.  They re-signed Sheldon Rankins who was good for them two years ago but was awful in Cincinnati last season.  They hope Darrell Taylor gives them some edge depth with Derek Barnett too. 

The LBs are solid but not spectacular.  MLB Azeez Al-Shaair is well-versed in Ryans’ defense and Christian Harris and Henry To’o To’o are solid players flanking him.  CB Derrick Stingley Jr. is one of the two or three best corners in the NFL and they rely on him to take his guy out of the offense.  CB Kamari Lassiter was a steal in last year’s draft and held up quite well opposite Stingley.  FS Calen Bullock also stepped in as a starter last year and he was quite good.  The team traded for CJ Gardner-Johnson in the off season but he just had a knee injury that is going to affect his availability.  They still have Jalen Pitre and he’s an excellent nickel but he may have to play some more traditional safety if Gardner-Johnson is out very long. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The front office and coaching staff have undergone complete makeovers and it was all overdue.  GM James Gladstone replaces Trent Baalke and Liam Coen comes in at head coach.  The roster isn’t changing a ton because they have some good players and they believe a better coaching staff will get more out of these guys.  It starts with Coen bringing in a new offense which is long overdue.

QB Trevor Lawrence is signed to a major contract and the team’s success is tied to him whether they like it or not.  Coen was hired to do what Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson couldn’t do, get Lawrence to live up to his considerable talent.  Lawrence is one of the most physically gifted QBs in the league but hasn’t had an offense that takes advantage of him.  Coen got the absolute most out of Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay last season and while Tampa’s WR group is more accomplished than the one the Jaguars have, the Jaguars have some serious talent to work with.

Brian Thomas Jr. was electric as a rookie and established himself as an elite WR even in a bad offense.  The team signed Dyami Brown to a decent one-year contract after his solid season in Washington and he gives them another skill set.  Finally, the team traded up in round one to get Travis Hunter and while they do plan on using him some at CB, his primary role for now will be as the WR2 for this team.  They made a late preseason trade for Tim Patrick from Detroit, he’s a solid pickup.  All three of those guys can be legitimate playmakers.  The team let Evan Engram go at TE but Brenton Strange is a good young player who probably fits Coen’s offense a little better. 

The offensive line isn’t teeming with elite players but the team hopes they have upgraded at a few spots and that the whole will be more than the sum of its parts.  Coen had a good offensive line in Tampa and they hope he can work some magic here.  LT Walker Little took over for Cam Robinson last year and while he’s not a Pro Bowler, he’s better than Robinson.  They traded for Ezra Cleveland and then re-signed him so they hope he’s solid at LG.  RT Anton Harrison wasn’t as good last year as his rookie season but he still has talent.  The C and RG spots are new as Coen imported Robert Hainsey to take over in the pivot.  Hainsey lost his job to a rookie in Tampa Bay last season so he’s certainly not elite but he’s better than Luke Fortner.  Patrick Mekari has been a long-time Raven who filled a lot of holes with his versatility.  The Jags want him to stick at RG and replace Brandan Scherff who they let go.  It’s possible the line is better but that’s not a guarantee. 

Travis Etienne has been the starting RB whenever he’s been healthy for the last several years but they always seem to be trying to replace him.  Tank Bigsby is the guy they brought in two years ago and he has yet to prove to be better.  They drafted Bhayshul Tuten this year but I’ll believe they are changing RBs when I see it.  Etienne is always underestimated but seems to hold on to the job. 

The defense is returning almost fully intact from a personnel standpoint which means Coen is placing a lot of trust on new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile turning this unit around.  Campanile is inexperienced as a coordinator so it’s going to be interesting to see what he does.  There is talent to work with so it’s not impossible this defense can be good.  The front features DE Josh Hines-Allen and DE Travon Walker on the outside.  These two can get the pressure of the edge any team would desire so that’s a good start.  They aren’t great in the middle with DaVon Hamilton and an aging Arik Armstead at DT.  That’s assuming Armstead his healthy enough to play.  It would help if one of the backups like Maason Smith or Austin Johnson could contribute. 

At LB, Devin Lloyd is a solid MLB and Foyesade Oluokun is fine on the weakside but hopefully Campanile’s defense puts them in better positions to succeed and uses their strengths.  The strongside LB is Yasir Abdullah who’s a young player without a lot of experience or Dennis Gardeck, a veteran coming off an injury.

The secondary would be helped out if Travis Hunter was going to be a full-time CB but for now, he’s going to be used situationally.  CB Tyson Campbell is a solid CB1 even if he’s not one of the top players at the position.  Jarrian Jones will try to hold up as the other outside CB with Hunter likely to step in when needed.  They signed Jourdan Lewis to be their nickel corner and he’s a good player when healthy but that’s not a guarantee.  At safety, Eric Murray is a veteran they have penciled in at SS with Andrew Wingard at FS.  Not the best duo but if the front is good that will help the back end. 

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are going into the second year of Brian Callahan’s tenure and they are doing it with a new QB, Cam Ward.  Callahan’s offense wasn’t in the best hands last year with Will Levis which is why they took Ward first overall.  They also decided to help the offensive line out with some changes and the offense should be better.  The defense has Dennard Wilson back at DC and they hope to make strides on that side with a few changes. 

Cam Ward is a dynamic player who should give them a higher ceiling than Levis was giving them.  Callahan’s offense is in better hands with Ward.  The entire QB corps turns over as Levis is out for the year with an injury so it’s Ward, backed up by Brandon Allen.  There is also massive turnover at WR.  Calvin Ridley returns as the top player at the position but the rest of the roster will be new.  Veterans Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett were signed to give the offense more consistency.  Lockett is aging but he can still play.  Jefferson is okay but has never really excelled.  They also drafted a couple of rookies in Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike.  This should be a solid group for Ward.  TE Chig Okonkwo is a solid player in the passing game too. 

RB Tony Pollard was a 1000-yard rusher last year behind a suspect offensive line and on an overall suspect offense.  He’s a good player and it should really help him out to get a better line up front.  The team seriously overspent to get LT Dan Moore in free agency but he was the best LT they could sign and he upgrades two positions for them.  Moore is a better LT than JC Latham was last season as a rookie.  Latham is a natural RT and now he moves back to that position and should be a massive upgrade over the guys they played at the position last season.  The also signed veteran RG Kevin Zeitler and while he’s getting up there in age, he’s still playing at high level.  Zeitler and Latham on the right side could be a devastating combo.  LG Peter Skoronski needs to play well but having a better LT next to him should help.  It would also be very helpful if C Lloyd Cushenberry returns healthy.  He was having a good year before he got hurt and they need his consistency inside. 

The defense returns all three starters up front with Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat, and Jeffrey Simmons.  Simmons is one of the better DTs in the league and he’s a force up front.  Sweat had a very good year as a rookie at NT and made the line much stronger.  Joseph-Day is a veteran who can hold his own.  They don’t have great depth so they need these guys healthy.  At OLB they will go with Arden Key and most likely Dre’Mont Jones who they signed from Seattle.  Jones is a strange OLB being 6’3 281 lbs., not your typical speed rusher off the edge.  Key is a decent rotation guy but shouldn’t be a full-time player or really a starter either.  They are certainly hoping rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo out of UCLA can give them something off the edge.  Cody Barton was signed to pair with James Williams Jr. at ILB.  It’s not a great pair but they should be serviceable. 

The secondary needs L’Jarius Snead to return at CB after the money and draft capital they spent last year to get him.  He’s coming off an injury but they need the CB1 they paid for or things get rough quickly.  Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was a great find at the other CB spot in the fifth round of last year’s draft but he needs to be the #2 guy.  Roger McCreary is a good nickel guy and they don’t have depth behind these three.  Amani Hooker is a seasoned veteran at SS and they hope veteran Xavier Woods is a good pickup at FS.  Rookie Kevin Winston Jr. was a solid pickup in round three of this year’s draft to be the third safety. 

Indianapolis Colts

GM Chris Ballard has been around a long time and while head coach Shane Steichen has only been around a few years, both guys are tied to the QBs they have chosen to have here.  Anthony Richardson was supposed to be that guy but they are going with Daniel Jones instead.  Their owner Jim Irsay passed away this off season so now his daughters are in charge and Ballard may not have the job security he’s enjoyed before if this QB choice kills their season. 

Richardson is still just a thought experiment at this point and it’s hasn’t gone well.  We know what Daniel Jones is and while it’s not good, it’s preferable to Richardson at this point.  It’s not great when you’re looking at rookie third stringer Riley Leonard and thinking “hey, why not.”

The passing game is dependent on the QB raising the level of the WRs because while Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, are a solid trio of players, they aren’t world beaters on their own.  These guys need a QB who makes them better.  Maybe second year WR AD Mitchell is a guy with that kind of talent but he’s still raw.  TE Tyler Warren was drafted to give this team a playmaker because the WR group is just a group of good players, not difference makers.  Daniel Jones doesn’t inspire confidence but he has a higher floor, in theory, than Richardson.  Ballard and Steichen could be gone quickly if this goes off the rails early in the year. 

The other issue is the offensive line.  LT Bernhard Raimann has really developed into a good player and they signed him to a contract extension, that’s good news.  LG Quenton Nelson probably isn’t the dominant force he once was but he’s still a good guard.  His draft classmate RT Braden Smith was never as dominant like Nelson but he’s always been steady.  He’s been dealing with some mental health issues so the team has to hope he’s ready to play all year.  The real issue is at center and RG where two second-year guys are looking to take over.  C Tanor Bortolini is being counted on to replace Ryan Kelly while Matt Goncalves is looking to replace Will Fries full-time at RG.  Goncalves played some for Fries last year but now these jobs belong to them.  Kelly was aging and Fries had some injury issues but these two were awesome when they played together.  Bortolini and Goncalves have big shoes to fill.  RB Jonathan Taylor is one of the best in football but he does need some blocking to get going.  That’s especially true if the passing game isn’t threatening anyone. 

The biggest change on defense is the scheme as the team is moving on from Gus Bradley and hired Lou Anarumo from Cincinnati.  Cincinnati’s defense has struggled under Anarumo but that was largely due to them ignoring the defensive personnel, the Colts added some good pieces in the off season.  They are largely unchanged up front as they are hoping for development from Latu Laiatu at DE after a solid rookie year.  Kwity Paye is the other DE and they hope getting Samson Ebukam back as a pass rusher helps.  DT DeForest Buckner isn’t getting any younger but he can still play.  Grover Stewart is even older but he’s still solid.  They could use some young depth to step forward. 

The LB group is underwhelming with MLB Zaire Franklin and assumably Cameron McGrone at the other spot.  Franklin is fine but he’s 29 and undistinguished at this point.  McGrone is going into year five and hasn’t really done anything at all.  Where this team made some moves in the secondary where it was certainly needed.  They signed CB Charvarius Ward after going years without a real CB1, Ward is that guy.  They cut JuJu Brents after another lost season to injury which leaves Jaylon Jones as the other starting outside CB.  Kenny Moore II is back as the slot guy, he’s still really good there.  At safety, they team signed Cam Bynum at FS and he was very good in Minnesota last year.  Nick Cross returns at SS and he’s fine.  The best news is that Lou Anarumo can put together a good defense if he has the guys to run it and this group has the type of solid veterans he prefers because it’s generally a complicated game plan.  The LB group leaves plenty to be desired but if the Colts are bad, I don’t think it will be because the defense is terrible.  It will be because the offense left the defense on the field too much.        

2025 AFC South Draft Review

Houston Texans

(34) Jayden Higgins WR Iowa St.
(48) Aireontae Ersery OT Minnesota
(79) Jaylin Noel WR Iowa St.
(97) Jaylin Smith CB USC
(116) Woody Marks RB USC
(187) Jaylen Reed S Penn St.
(197) Graham Mertz QB Florida
(224) Kyonte Hamilton DT Rutgers
(255) Luke Lachey TE Iowa

Immediate Impact: WR Jayden Higgins, OT Aireontae Ersery

The team lost Tank Dell to a gruesome knee injury late in the year and so they really shouldn’t expect him back this next season. They drafted Higgins to be the outside WR opposite Nico Collins and he should be an excellent addition. OT Aireontae Ersery was a mid-second round pick who has a legitimate chance to start at LT. Cam Robinson is a stopgap at best and Ersery has plenty of upside. He’s a massive human being who has athleticism you wouldn’t expect out of man his size; he wins the job over Robinson in camp.

Best Value: WR Jaylin Noel

I should probably give this to Ersery and if he proves me right and wins the starting LT job it really is him. A starting LT at 48th overall is great value. However, Noel was an absolute steal in round three. I doubt the Texans had planned on drafting both Iowa St. WRs but when he was still on the board at 79, they couldn’t pass him up. The team traded for Christian Kirk so Noel won’t be an immediate starter but if he ends up playing more than Kirk, that’s not going to be surprising.

Sleeper: TE Luke Lachey

The top two TEs on the depth chart are Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan, neither of whom have guaranteed money on their contracts past this season. The team took Cade Stover in the 2024 draft but Lachey offers more upside as a receiver. He had a tough year at Iowa coming off an injury, adjusting to a new offense, and dealing with some bad QB play, but Lachey has talent. It won’t happen immediately unless there are some injuries but he’s a worthwhile bet in round seven.

Overall Analysis

The Texans traded out of round one to allow the Giants to move up to get QB Jaxson Dart and while they didn’t get a big haul of picks, they got some value. Both Iowa St. WRs give them help at WR even if it didn’t seem like a glaring need. They have a lot of bodies at the position but both Higgins and Noel are well positioned to get playing time. John Metchie III and Christian Kirk are penciled in as starters and neither one of them is a guarantee. Ersery was arguably the last viable starting LT option on the board and they needed a guy who can beat out Cam Robinson, Ersery will.

The next two picks were a bit odd and were probably reaches where they were taken. Jaylin Smith is an undersized CB who is likely a nickel and the Texans already have Jalen Pitre and CJ Gardner-Johnson who can play that position. Not sure Smith was so good you needed to take him in round three. RB Woody Marks is a solid back and good pass catcher but they traded up for him in round four, he wasn’t that highly regarded. S Jaylen Reed is a solid prospect but he’s going to find it hard to make this roster at safety, they’re deep there.

QB Graham Mertz was also a questionable pick. This team has CJ Stroud entrenched at QB with Davis Mills seemingly entrenched as his backup. They have Kedon Slovis, who they drafted last year, as a developmental QB and I don’t think Mertz is an upgrade there. Strange choice. DT Kyonte Hamilton may have been a late round pick but the DT spot isn’t overly impressive so he could stick around. Lachey has plenty of potential.

Nitpick or Concern: I have a few. This was an interesting draft in the fact that every pick the Texans made was traded at some point. Up or down, GM Nick Caserio didn’t sit still. The middle round picks of Jaylin Smith and Woody Marks were questionable at best. Smith will find playing time hard to come by on this roster. Marks can find a role behind Joe Mixon because Mixon isn’t a pass catcher, but there were better RBs on the board; Jarquez Hunter, Dylan Sampson, Jordan James, and Jaydon Blue were literally the next four RBs off the board. Also, while they were taking guys like Smith and Marks, there were DTs like Deone Walker, Ty Robinson, CJ West, and Jordan Farmer on the board. They had a bigger need at DT than at nickel and those guys would have helped.

Indianapolis Colts

(14) Tyler Warren TE Penn St.
(45) JT Tuimoloau DE Ohio St.
(80) Justin Walley CB Minnesota
(127) Jalen Travis OT Iowa St.
(151) DJ Giddens RB Kansas St.
(189) Riley Leonard QB Notre Dame
(190) Tim Smith DT Alabama
(232) Hunter Wohler S Wisconsin

Immediate Impact: TE Tyler Warren

The Colts have a huge need at TE and Warren is a guy who can fill it. He has the all-around game every team hopes to find at TE. He isn’t an elite blocker but he can get the job done and he’s probably an upgrade over the guys they have. If the Colts figure out the QB situation with a suitable solution, whether it’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones, Warren can be an additive piece to the offense.

Best Value: RB DJ Giddens

The RB room is getting a little crowed after the team signed Khalil Herbert and drafted DJ Giddens to join starter Jonathan Taylor and backup Tyler Goodson. They probably didn’t need Giddens but he was too good to pass up in round five. He’s a good RB who brings value in the passing game and he might make Goodson expendable.

Sleeper: OT Jalen Travis

RT Braden Smith is in the last year of his contract and is 29 years old. LT Bernhard Raimann is an emerging talent that they are going to want to secure into the future with a new deal. They probably won’t want to pay to keep Smith and Travis has starter potential. He needs some development but he’s 6’8 339 lbs. and you can’t teach that kind of size. He can be the swing tackle this year with the upside to be the starting RT next year.

Overall Analysis

TE Tyler Warren going to the Colts was one of the most mocked picks leading up to the draft and it came true for a reason. The Colts needed a real TE and they got one. DE JT Tuimoloau is such a Colts type of DE I can’t believe more people didn’t put it together. They collect big, physical DEs with high floors but low pass rush ceilings like it’s their job. Tuimoloau isn’t going to blow anyone away with his pass rush but he is going to be a very reliable defender on the edge. CB Justin Walley felt a little early in round three.

OT Jalen Travis and RB DJ Giddens were good value picks who can contribute to this team, it just might not be this year unless injuries strike. QB Riley Leonard is a nice idea if you think a team would put together a package to use his running ability but this team has Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones at QB, those guys are already runners. You could assume they just wanted a QB with a similar skill set as the QB3 but that’s giving Leonard a lot of credit, he’s not that good of a passer.

DT Tim Smith is a solid interior defensive lineman from Alabama who isn’t going to blow you away physically but is going to be solid. The DT group isn’t deep so he could stick on this roster. S Hunter Wohler is a size, speed guy that is a Chris Ballard special, maybe he sticks on special teams.

Nitpick or Concern: It’s not that I don’t like JT Tuimoloau but they could have had an edge rusher with more juice like Mike Green or Nic Scourton at that pick. Couple that with the underwhelming Justin Walley in round three and those picks could have had more impact. They also passed on CB Will Johnson in round two and that could come back to haunt them.

Jacksonville Jaguars

(2) Travis Hunter CB/WR Colorado
(88) Caleb Ransaw CB Tulane
(89) Wyatt Milum OT West Virginia
(104) Bhayshul Tuten RB Virginia Tech
(107) Jack Kiser LB Notre Dame
(194) Jalen McLeod LB Auburn
(200) Rayuan Lane III S Navy
(221) Jonah Monheim OL USC
(236) LeQuint Allen RB Syracuse

Immediate Impact: CB/WR Travis Hunter, CB Caleb Ransaw

The Jaguars have spoken about Hunter playing both ways and he fits well on offense where they need a complement to Brian Thomas Jr. Hunter gives them more dynamic playmaking than free agent Dyami Brown or last year’s free agent bust Gabe Davis. On defense they have Tyson Campbell as their CB1 but Hunter will rotate in with Jarrian Jones at the other outside spot. Caleb Ransaw is quietly a pretty good nickel prospect. The Jaguars signed Jourdan Lewis to a big deal to come over from the Cowboys but Lewis is past his prime. I think Ransaw gives them someone who can play that spot even better.

Best Value: RB Bhayshul Tuten

Tuten has a lot of burst coming out of the backfield and can be a real playmaker for this team. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby haven’t exactly been lighting it up and Tuten gives them a more dynamic player. As a fourth-round pick he was good value because he very well could unseat Etienne as the starter at some point, maybe even early in the season.

Sleeper: OL Jonah Monheim

The Jags have Robert Hainsey and Luke Fortner at center right now and they could use an upgrade. Monheim played OT at USC but has some positional flexibility and might end up the best center of the three. He’s going to get a chance to develop at the position and he may become the long-term solution there.

Overall Analysis

The Jaguars made the big trade early in round one to move up and take Travis Hunter second overall. They gave up the fifth pick, their second-round pick, and a first next year. That may seem like a lot to only move up three picks but Hunter might be two players, he’s at least one and half. They needed someone to give them some playmaking at WR opposite Thomas, Hunter does that. They also need another outside CB opposite Tyson Campbell, Hunter does that too. He also just simply ups the excitement level about the Jaguars overall. It’s a strong move by first time GM James Gladstone.

Not having a second-round pick would normally hurt the overall haul but if Hunter plays two positions well, that’s moot. CB Caleb Ransaw is a solid pick to also help them at the nickel. OL Wyatt Milum has some position versatility because he was an OT in college who likely moves to guard. He could be an OT in a pinch and they need depth. Tuten was a good pick and the only issue they may have with him is that he fumbles too much.

Jack Kiser and Jalen McLeod are depth pieces at LB for now. I don’t see either of them competing except on special teams. The same can be said for S Rayuan Lane III. Monheim is a long-term play at center if he can pick up the position. LeQuint Allen is a pass catching back who will be buried on the depth chart for the time being.

Nitpick or Concern: Everyone had the Jaguars picking Mason Graham fifth overall in their mock drafts because we didn’t see this trade coming but also because this team needs help at DT. They didn’t draft a single one. Getting Hunter was a coup but they had other chances to help the DT rotation. They took Caleb Ransaw 88th and Wyatt Milum 89th, they could have waited to address the nickel spot or the guard spot at that point and taken any one of Deone Walker, Ty Robinson, CJ West, or Jordan Farmer and they would have helped the defensive line.

Tennessee Titans

(1) Cam Ward QB Miami
(52) Oluwafemi Oladejo Edge UCLA
(82) Kevin Winston Jr. S Penn St.
(103) Chimere Dike WR Florida
(120) Gunnar Helm TE Texas
(136) Elic Ayomanor WR Stanford
(167) Jackson Slater OL Sacramento St.
(183) Marcus Harris S California
(188) Kalel Mullings RB Michigan

Immediate Impact: QB Cam Ward, Edge Oluwafemi Oladejo

The Titans took the guy they hope is their franchise QB and they will give him every opportunity to prove he is. They spent money on the offensive line to keep Ward safe and they hope he makes the most of his opportunity. The team also got Oladejo in round two which is helpful for a team that doesn’t have great options at pass rusher. Dre’Mont Jones isn’t a speed rusher and Arden Key isn’t a full-time player. Oladejo still has a lot to learn as he’s only been an edge rusher for a year but he should get better.

Best Value: WR Elic Ayomanor

Ayomanor was generally considered a second-round pick by most people and the Titans got him in round four. Considering how barren the WR group is in Tennessee Ayomanor is going to be a guy who plays for this team next year. He’s not a perfect prospect; he can be a bit stiff and his hands will fail him from time to time but he’s an upgrade over most of their group.

Sleeper: TE Gunnar Helm

Helm isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism, even though he’s a better athlete than he gets credit for. He’s not the pass catcher Chig Okonkwo is or the blocker Josh Whylie is but he’s a better blocker than Okonkwo and a better pass catcher than Whylie. In short, he’s solid at most aspects of the job but not great at any one in particular. Helm is a very reliable pass catcher as he doesn’t drop anything. He will be an affective player for Cam Ward in the future.

Overall Analysis

It’s almost as if no one really noticed that the Titans drafted a new franchise QB #1 overall in this draft. It became obvious about six weeks before the draft that the Titans had settled on Ward so there wasn’t a lot of talk about him, then the Travis Hunter trade happened at #2 overall and everyone moved on. Ward is not a sure thing for a #1 QB pick but he’s a very talented player and the Titans have done some things to help him out. They rebuilt the o-line and have given him some help at WR and TE.

The team didn’t forget about their defensive needs either, they took Oladejo in round two and then S Kevin Winston Jr. in the next round. Oladejo will get every chance to prove he can rush the passer. Winston is a solid bet at safety. They signed Xavier Woods to pair with Amani Hooker there but Woods is an aging veteran and Hooker is going into a contract year. Winston helps now and is a nod to the future.

The next three picks were made to support Cam Ward at QB. WR Chimere Dike, TE Gunnar Helm, and WR Elic Ayomanor are all guy who can earn playing time. I’m not a huge Dike fan but this team needs WRs and Dike has the speed the rest of the group lacks. Ayomanor has a size and playmaking that will fit well next to Calvin Ridley and he’s a better option at this point than Van Jefferson. Gunnar Helm gives them a better all-around player at TE than others on the roster. OL Jackson Slater is depth, S Marcus Harris is depth, and RB Kalel Mullings is at best a depth piece.

Nitpick or Concern: When you combine their free agent haul of some solid veteran additions with the draft class, there’s not a real nit to pick or a concern. They don’t have as much high-end talent as others but they won’t be terrible at any position. There are two moves that deserve attention. First, I usually don’t mention undrafted free agents but this team signed Cam Ward’s favorite college target, Xavier Restrepo. Restrepo was incredibly production as a slot receiver for Miami but he ran a ridiculously slow 4.82 40 and fell off everyone’s radar. The Titans signed Tyler Lockett recently to be the slot receiver but he’s going to be 33 and he’s not as affective as he once was. Restrepo understands how to play with Ward and that can help him make the team.
The other move they need to make is trading QB Will Levis. They signed Brandon Allen to be their veteran backup and they need to ship Levis somewhere so Ward has a clear path to leading this team. Levis should still have value to someone. The Steelers still have a need at QB until they sign Aaron Rodgers. The Rams should be a team looking for a young developmental guy, Levis has more upside than Stetson Bennett. The Jets only have Justin Fields for two years. Liam Coen coached Levis at Kentucky and the only backup he has to Trevor Lawrence is Nick Mullins. And finally, I hate to say it, but the Patriots Mike Vrabel was the coach that drafted Levis and they could use a new #3 QB after trading Joe Milton III.