NFL Preseason Preview: Will a rookie QB win the AFC South?

For a long time, the AFC South has been one of the weakest divisions in football and 2023 could well be no different, unfortunately. Whilst there should be excitement for fans with rookie QBs and rebuilds happening, aside from Jacksonville, all of these teams are probably a year away, at least, from competing.

The Texans may well have found their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud so 2023 is all about seeing the OSU prospect settle into his new role. Elsewhere there is a dearth of talent, with only Dameon Pierce and Dalton Schultz standing out as offensive weapons. New OC Bobby Slowik is coming from the 49ers so should be able to cook up a QB-friendly scheme at least.

If the Texans are going to do much of anything next year, Demeco Ryans’ defense needs to step up and play exceptional football. Rookie Will Anderson Jr. is reportedly impressing at training camp whilst the addition of Jimmie Ward will help bolster a secondary including the talented Derek Stingley Jr.

There should be no expectations placed on the Texans for 2023, this is a year to see what they have in their rookie QB Stroud and for Demeco Ryans to make his mark as Head Coach. If Stroud looks good, then everyone in the organization can breathe a sigh of relief.

Another AFC South team, another rookie QB. This time it’s Anthony Richardson from Florida who will be taking his snaps in the NFL. Richardson, alongside first-time Head Coach Shane Steichen, could well be a formidable duo in time but with Jonathan Taylor looking for a swift exit and a lack of big-name receiving targets, it might not all click in year one.

Outside of defensive tackle duo DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart and linebacker Shaquille Leonard, this is a defensive roster devoid of star power. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has plenty of NFL experience and will need to pull out all the stops to have any sort of success this year.

The Colts took a huge risk drafting Richardson in the top ten, the QB prospect could well end up an elite player, or he could be out of the league in no time at all. Much like the Texans, this year is making their rookie QB as comfortable as possible in the scheme and in the NFL.

Has it all clicked for Trevor Lawrence? The end of the 2022 season saw the Jags QB finally living up to his pre-draft billing as an elite quarterback prospect and the expectation is this continues into next season as well. The addition of Calvin Ridley should have Jags fans very excited, alongside Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, this has become a very good wide receiver group all of a sudden.

The Jags’ D is nothing overly special, but with Josh Allen off the edge and Tyson Campbell locking players down on the outside, there is potential here. Travon Walker’s development in year two will be key as he could add a second fearsome pass-rusher to the D. All Mike Caldwell’s unit needs to be is solid and it should be enough to see them win another division title.

This is the Jaguar’s division to lose in 2023, with the best quarterback and coaching, it would take some combination of bad luck or bad play to slow down the Jags in 2023. Last year they pushed the Chiefs close in the AFC Divisional round and reaching the second round of the playoffs should be the minimum expected this year.

Who’s playing quarterback? The Titans currently have veteran Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, and rookie Will Levis on the roster, all with half a chance to be named the started. Willis has, by some accounts, earned himself some respect in his second year by performing incredibly well in off-season training. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins will certainly make whoever is under center’s life easier.

Headlined by Jeffery Simmons, this is a hardnosed defense very much in the mold of Head Coach Mike Vrabel. They stop the run better than anyone in the league but they are let down by one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Expect another up-and-down year for this group.

This is not a good team, but it is also not a bad team. Perhaps they should have fully committed to the rebuild rather than persevere for another season with Tannehill and Derrick Henry, but here they are and who knows, maybe they throw a surprise in 2023. There’s zero chance Mike Vrabel doesn’t have his squad fired up and ready to go.

Calvin Ridley on the Jags. This is a tantalizing signing for the Jaguars as Ridley showed his talent in Atlanta, especially in 2020 where he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine TDs. If Lawrence and Ridley click, this could be amongst the best QB/WR duos in the league.

The Texans gave up a lot to move up and draft Will Anderson Jr. and by all accounts he is already showing his new team why. A ready-for-the-NFL prospect, Anderson should be able to make an impact from day one.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Houston Texans