AFC South check-in: Most, least improved position groups post-draft
Danielle Hunter.
The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, meaning teams have mostly completed their most significant roster moves for the season. With that in mind, here’s a look at the most and least upgraded position groups for each AFC South team.
Houston Texans | Last season 10-7
Most improved position group: Edge-rusher
Sure, the Texans lost Jonathan Greenard and his 12.5 sacks, but they replaced him with Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry and Mario Edwards and their combined 30 sacks, plus rookie seventh-round pick Solomon Byrd.
The rest of the AFC South is loaded at quarterback — Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Anthony Richardson (Colts), Will Levis (Titans) — and with their offseason additions plus reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson and 2017 first-round pick Derek Barnett, the Texans are all-in on getting to the QB.
Least improved position group: Defensive tackle
Houston lost Sheldon Rankins, Maliek Collins and Teair Tart during the offseason and replaced them with rookie seventh-round pick Marcus Harris, plus Tim Settle and Foley Fatukasi and their combined 13.5 career sacks. With so much inexperience at defensive tackle, the Texans defensive line is going to be relying heavily on the play of its defensive ends.
Indianapolis Colts | Last season 9-8
Most improved position group: Wide receiver
The Colts re-signed Michael Pittman Jr. to a three-year, $70M deal, they already had Josh Downs (68 receptions, 771 yards, two touchdowns) and Alec Pierce (32 receptions, 514 yards, two touchdowns) and then they drafted Texas’ Adonai Mitchell in the second round of this year’s draft.
With Mitchell’s speed, Pittman’s hands, Downs’ route running and elusiveness, and Richardson’s strong arm and ability to throw on the run, the Colts could have a scary good passing game next season.
Least improved position group: Cornerback
Retaining Kenny Moore III was a solid move, but Indy let Tony Brown go to Cleveland and didn’t sign any CBs in free agency. Marshall’s Micah Abraham, who the Colts drafted in the sixth round, was the only corner the team added that wasn’t on the team last season.
With the AFC South loaded at receiver — Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell in Houston; Christian Kirk, Gabriel Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville; Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins in Tennessee — it could be a long season for the Colts’ secondary.
Jacksonville Jaguars | Last season 9-8
Most improved position group: Defensive end
Jacksonville got just 4.5 sacks from its defensive ends last season, so the team pounced on free agent Arik Armstead once he was released from the San Francisco 49ers, drafted Texas Tech’s Myles Cole in the seventh round and signed Indiana’s Andre Carter as an undrafted free agent.
The Jags had better free-agent signings this offseason in terms of team fit (WR Gabriel Davis, safety Darnell Savage, center Mitch Morse), but because the team’s DEs were so bad last season, the additions they made at the position make it the most improved.
Least improved position group: Cornerback
Two of Jacksonville’s top cornerbacks — Darious Williams and Tre Herndon — are no longer with the team. Though the Jaguars drafted Jarrian Jones in the third round and Deantre Prince in the fifth round, Ronald Darby was the only free-agent CB they signed and the group is in worse shape than it was last season.
Tennessee Titans | Last season 6-11
Most improved position group: Offensive line
The Titans had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season. They used five different offensive tackles, four different guards and converted a guard to center, and that group combined to allow 263 pressures, 154 hurries and the fourth-most sacks in the NFL (64).
Andre Dillard — arguably the team’s biggest liability last year — is now with the Green Bay Packers, which is an upgrade in itself, and Tennessee prioritized upgrading the rest of the unit by drafting tackle JC Latham at No. 7 and signing center Lloyd Cushenberry and guard Saahdiq Charles as free agents. All three are expected to contend for starting jobs in 2024.
Least improved position group: Edge-rusher
Autry left for division rival Houston, as did Trevis Gipson who landed in Jacksonville, leaving Harold Landry and Arden Key as the team’s top pass-rushers off the edge. Rookie seventh-rounder Jaylen Harrell was the only edge-rusher the team drafted, and they didn’t add any in free agency.
Unless the Titans know something everyone else doesn’t about Caleb Murphy and Rashad Weaver, don’t expect them to be anywhere near the top of the league in sacks in 2024.
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