The NFL Draft is nearly upon us and if you do not enjoy the other major sports, then this is a welcome respite. This preview is for the AFC South and since every division gets to send a team to the playoffs we have to take each one seriously. That being said, the AFC South has two teams that since 2012 have lost the most and third most games (Jacksonville and Tennessee). Hope is unending in the league with the most parody! Let’s get on with it.
Houston Texans
Last Season’s Record: 9-7
Positional Needs: Not DE.
There are not too many other teams that lost more free agents this offseason than the Texans. They lost a star CB and a starting OLB. Their biggest need may not be those positions in particular because they still do not have a franchise quarterback. Brock Osweiller (now on the Cleveland Browns) was benched at the end of the season last year, but played in the last game due to a concussion to Tom Savage. If you thought Brock Osweiller and now think that Tom Savage can take you to the promised land, then please stop drinking the kool-aid.
Defense has been a strength of the Texans (ranking in the top ten), which is good as their draft position is not favorable to use on anything other than needs (such as quarterback and offensive line). This is a team that could cause some excitement on draft day with possible trades up or back. Clearly they don’t need to replace JJ Watt or Jadeveon Clowney – do I need to say that?
Indianapolis Colts
Last Season’s Record: 8-8
Positional Needs: OL, and defense. Maybe a RB.
They don’t need a quarterback. So that’s good. Bad that Luck is coming off of an injury again, but they really get to pick the best player available when it gets to them. They pick right in the middle of the first three rounds, so there is no pressure either.
They were incredibly pass heavy, even for modern football, which resulted in all those hits to Andrew Luck eventually leading to injury. There are two basic ways you can go about fixing that 1) you draft better offensive lineman or 2) you draft better skill players allowing Luck to get rid of the ball quicker. Ideally you would like both. The problem with the second way is it relies on play-calling. Do you have faith in Chuck Pagano? I have defense in their needs because they rank very poorly in both run and pass defense. This can partly be attributed to the fact that because they passed so much the other team had more possessions and wore them out, but they also need players. It can never be simple.
This division is theirs for the taking since they have the one piece none of the other teams have; a franchise quarterback (as every Cleveland fan looks on jealously).
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last Season’s Record: 3-13
Positional Needs: QB? Coach? Owner?
This team confounds the experts. They have great players on paper and their GM is certainly trying to get the best talent in the offseason (very few teams have spent more on talent – Houston’s best CB to name one), but it has not equated to wins yet. I jokingly put owner on there since no one has lost more games since he took over the team. Eat your heart out, Cleveland.
If they don’t pick a QB first then look for a splashy RB pick. If they decide to stick with Blake Bortles another year, good luck. So far they have been filling many defensive needs through free agency. Their first pick is at #4 and I am sure it makes Houston nervous as to what Jacksonville chooses because the QB class is not very deep. I would not be surprised if they trade back with their pick.
So many moves in the offseason makes it difficult to project needs or results, but the pick will (should?) be on the offensive side of the ball.
Tennessee Titans
Last Season’s Record: 3-13
Positional Needs: WR, secondary positions
Getting someone for Marcus Mariota to throw to may be the most important thing for the Titans to do in the draft. The second would be to make the 30th ranked pass defense better. Luckily for them the Los Angeles Rams made what may go down as one of the worst trades last year, when they traded for the Titans No. 1 spot only to get a QB who barely played. But what really takes the cake is that Tennessee gets their first round pick this year. So they have two first round picks, one at #5 and one at #18.
This gives them options. I wouldn’t expect an elite WR to be picked as high as #5 (although I think Mike Williams deserves it), so they may be looking at a defensive player here. Safety or cornerback would make sense. Traditionally, it would be a bit high for those positions, but they have that other pick at #18.
The AFC South can safely be summed up with ‘teams that have holes that cannot be filled with one man’….not the cleanest motto. Get your mind out of the gutter. Expect this to be the division to be making moves, if there are any in the first round, as they need many draft selections for all teams. Enjoy the NFL draft!
