In the NFL, things change quickly. Just ask the AFC South.
A year ago, the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts each had new quarterbacks and first-time head coaches. While the future was considered bright, the present was thought to be bleak.
Fast-forward one season, and the Texans are defending AFC South champs while anything less than a playoff appearance in Indianapolis would be considered a failure.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars were viewed as Super Bowl contenders in 2023, only to fall apart after an 8–3 start to miss the playoffs. Now, will they play as they did early last season before succumbing to injuries, or are they a group about to take a step back?
We took a look at all four AFC South rosters and ranked them, giving a snapshot of what to expect in 2024.
In one year, the Texans went from having a roster nobody thought could win six games, to a team which might contend to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX.
Of course, the driving force behind Houston’s sensational turnaround is quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to help lead the Texans to a shocking AFC South title, along with a playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.
With Stroud under center, Houston’s offense is one of the league’s scariest. This was only bolstered by the acquisition of All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs, who joins Nico Collins and second-year speedster Tank Dell in the receiver room.
Defensively, the Texans have Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. rushing off the edges with Denico Autry manning the inside of their front. In the secondary, youth is serving with corner Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre patrolling the deep end.
Jacksonville may have been a huge disappointment in 2023, but the roster is still teeming with above-average talent.
For the Jaguars, their rebound effort will be spearheaded by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who last season struggled with 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Lawrence, entering his third season alongside coach Doug Pederson, has ample weaponry around him including running back Travis Etienne Jr.; tight end Evan Engram; and receivers Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and incoming first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr.
On the other side, Jacksonville has one of the league’s better fronts, headlined by edge rusher Josh Allen and 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker. General manager Trent Baalke also added to the line with free-agent signing Arik Armstead coming over from the San Francisco 49ers.
The big question is in the secondary, where the Jaguars are relying on Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco to prop up some question marks, including newcomers Darnell Savage Jr. and Ronald Darby.
So much of how the Colts work out will be determined by second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson, who was Indianapolis’s first-round pick in 2023, only started four games before being shelved with a shoulder injury.
Before getting hurt, Richardson flashed dynamic talent, accounting for seven touchdowns (including four as a runner) despite leaving two of his four games before halftime.
The talent around him isn’t star-studded, but it's considerable. The Colts re-signed wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who alongside second-year man Josh Downs and rookie Adonai Mitchell form an intriguing trio. The offensive line is also solid, led by center Ryan Kelly and All-Pro Quenton Nelson.
The defense is led by a front including star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and first-round edge rusher Laiatu Latu, but is there enough punch otherwise? The secondary is also a concern as Kenny Moore II is a terrific slot corner, but the rest of the group has concerns abound.
The Titans added talent this offseason, headlined by receiver Calvin Ridley and corner L’Jarius Sneed. There were also other notable offensive additions including center Lloyd Cushenberry, first-round left tackle JC Latham and running back Tony Pollard, but it still isn't enough to get out of the AFC South basement.
Tennessee has major question marks along the offensive line despite adding Latham and 2023 first-rounder Peter Skoronski. The Titans’ right side remains in flux, and Will Levis under center is an unknown, having thrown for eight touchdowns while completing 58.4% of his passes across nine starts last season.
On defense, Jeffery Simmons is an elite defensive tackle but no longer has Denico Autry playing alongside him. The edges are also thin behind Harold Landry III. In the secondary, Sneed gives Tennessee a legitimate top-end corner, but the rest of the unit has either unsettled starters or depth concerns.
Tennessee isn’t terrible, but it’s not a playoff team either.
