AFC South Preview 2023: Predicting the Final Standings

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The AFC South tends to be a highly competitive division with three of the four teams generally being on the same level or very little separation in terms of team strength. The Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the NFL last season by winning the AFC South and advancing beyond the wild card round. The Titans, Colts, and Texans underperformed last season. Will it be more of the same or will a different team become the next “King of the Hill?”

One team that underwent drastic change was the Indianapolis Colts. Last year, after the trade for former Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan, the team went “South” in a hurry. There was a head coach change during the season as Colts legendary center Jeff Saturday took over the team. At first, it seemed like it could work out but then the losses piled up.

Fast forward to 2023. The team drafted rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson out of Florida to invigorate the offense. Richardson was undoubtedly the most talked about rookie quarterback in the 2023 draft class. He received more hype than CJ Stroud out of Ohio State and Bryce Young out of Alabama. Richardson was top five in multiple categories at the NFL Combine which drastically improved his stock. If not for such an impressive combine, Richardson could’ve been a late first-round pick or second-round selection.

The Colts had one of the most impressive drafts of any team. Indianapolis also selected wide receiver Josh Downs out of North Carolina which will be a huge boost to Richardson’s development. Of course, the Colts also addressed the defensive needs. After ranking 30th in total defense last season, there were immediate needs on that side of the ball. Indianapolis made several splash selections on defense including cornerback Julius Brents out of Kansas State and defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore out of Northwestern.

However, the Jacksonville Jaguars established themselves as the new top dog of the AFC South. But with increased competition from the Colts, things may not be so easy. Will Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense continue to make strides? Was the success of the Jaguars nothing more than a one-year wonder?

Jacksonville has a few top-tier defensive players like linebacker Josh Allen, safety Andre Cisco, and linebacker Devin Lloyd. Jacksonville needs to develop its defense to have a deep playoff run.

The Houston Texans also have some intrigue but this team went through a lot of change just like the Colts. Will C.J. Stroud finally change the perception that Ohio State quarterbacks struggle in the NFL? Did Houston make a mistake by passing up on Richardson and allowing their division rival to select him?

Stroud was one of the best improvising quarterbacks in college football. That doesn’t always guarantee success at the next level, however. Houston gave Stroud two intriguing receivers in Nathaniel Dell out of Houston and Xavier Hutchinson out of Iowa State. Houston also drafted two centers, Juice Scruggs out of Penn State and Jarrett Patterson out of Notre Dame.

The Texans knew they needed defensive playmakers too and the front office didn’t disappoint. The team drafted edge rusher Will Anderson out of Alabama and Dylan Horton out of TCU. Adding Alabama linebacker Henry Too’Too was also a huge win for the Texans. Safety Brandon Hill out of Pittsburgh was a tackling machine and he could also be vital to the Texans’ success.

Then there’s the Tennessee Titans. This team was a division favorite for several years. However, after the A.J. Brown trade in the 2022 draft, things went downhill very quickly. The Titans front office assumed that wide receiver Treylon Burks was the answer to take Brown’s place but it could take several years for Burks to really establish himself as a true number one receiver. There aren’t enough big names at receiver for the Titans to get the passing game going. That’s why the team really needs to take a chance on signing DeAndre Hopkins to a contract. That is reason enough for him to sign but without overpaying him. Ryan Tannehill could still start at quarterback but Malik Willis and rookie Will Levis out of Kentucky might challenge him. The run game will still be as dominant as ever with Derrick Henry at running back so there’s an expectation that Henry could have a lot of carries as the Titans will have to lean on him to get the offense going in the right direction.

The Titans need to improve drastically on defense which continues to be the Achilles heel of the team.

Projected Final AFC South standings