The AFC South was a lot more competitive in 2025 than anyone really expected. Most felt like the Texans were going to run away with the division title, but it turned out to be a 3-team race to the top with the Jaguars going from having one of the five worst records in the league to winning the division.
After the 2026 NFL Draft, it's clear which teams in the AFC South are making the biggest strides and which ones have sort of "fumbled" up to this point.
How does each roster in the division stack up now that the draft is in the rearview and most of the top free agents are off the board? We're going to rank each roster from worst to best, take a look at the most significant additions and subtractions for each team, and try to sort out one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL right now.
Texans reclaim top spot in the AFC South in latest NFL Power Rankings
4. Tennessee Titans
The Titans' roster is still a work in progress, but the potential of this team is high. It feels like the addition of Robert Saleh this offseason -- along with Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator -- has really put the Titans back on the map in a big way.
There were already some nice pieces on the Titans' roster as of the end of last season, but they went out and absolutely crushed free agency and the draft. Getting Carnell Tate was a bit of a shock with the 4th overall pick, but he'll be a reliable and consistent weapon for Cam Ward. And adding Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency gives the Titans a decent number of options now as Daboll takes the reins of that unit.
Defensively, we saw the Titans go after a number of substantial upgrades up front. Signing John Franklin-Myers in free agency was such a smart move, and I loved the trade to acquire Jermaine Johnson, reuniting him with Saleh after they spent time together with the Jets. The Titans also added veterans Solomon Thomas and Jordan Elliott before going after Keldric Faulk in a trade-up at the bottom of the 1st round. Faulk is one of the youngest and most physically gifted players in this draft class, and it's going to be fun to see what Saleh can do with him.
The Titans are still not completely done with their roster rebuild and there are unknowns, even if we like the additions on paper, but the roster is talented and could compete soon.
3. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were a really good-looking team last season until Daniel Jones went down with an injury. They've definitely got a lot going for them in terms of their weapons offensively, and the Colts seem to be -- at least for stretches -- an underrated sum of their parts defensively.
We'll see how the Sauce Gardner trade plays out for them this year, because they invested a lot to get him and only got four games out of him late last season. If Gardner can return to the form we saw from him earlier in his NFL career, that Colts defense could take a major leap in the right direction this season.
But overall, it's hard to look at this Colts' roster and see anything but a roster that has either gotten worse at spots or stayed the same. And there's nothing wrong with continuity, but there are question marks with Daniel Jones's health on top of whether or not he can consistently play at a high level.
The Colts are taking some calculated risks this year, and the expectation is going to be the playoffs, or we'll probably see them start cleaning house.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Looking over the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster, you're starting to quickly see the vision for James Gladstone and Liam Coen come into focus.
Gladstone and Coen do not care about the consensus when it comes to the NFL Draft, and that seemed to serve them pretty well in terms of finding some nice year-one fits and players who could help them get back on top of the division. But we obviously have yet to see any consistent impact from their biggest addition so far: Travis Hunter.
Hunter was one of the most coveted players in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Jaguars paid the price to get him. Whether we see him strictly on defense or playing both sides of the ball here in 2026, Hunter needs to make a major impact on this team now.
The Jaguars did almost nothing in NFL Free Agency, and their draft class is a head-scratcher. They lost Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, two major departures that weren't appropriately addressed, at least not from my seat. There is a certain floor, probably of 9 wins, with this Jaguars team, but a couple of injuries could have them in a much more volatile spot. This is a good roster but not a great one.
1. Houston Texans
The Texans easily have the best roster in the AFC South right now, and I don't think it's particularly close. The thing that's been holding the Texans back the past two years, if we can just be blunt about it, is quarterback CJ Stroud.
But we're all clinging to that idea that Stroud, at some point, is going to at least return to his 2023 form and the Texans are going to make that jump as a team. There isn't a more fearsome pass rush duo off the edge in the entire NFL than Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, and the Texans just added some teeth to the middle of that defensive front with 2nd-round pick Kayden McDonald.
They've once again done some remodeling of their offensive line this offseason with the additions of Braden Smith (stealing him from a rival), Wyatt Teller, and 1st-round pick Keylan Rutledge. Those three guys should help tremendously, and the addition of David Montgomery at running back will also be a massive help for the offense.
Defensively, it's almost like, "How much better can they get?" And the Texans found a way. The McDonald addition is a fantastic one, but getting Reed Blankenship from the Eagles gives Houston another really smart player in the secondary and someone who has played in a lot of big games.
The combination of continuity along with upgrades on the offensive and defensive lines make this Houston team a very dangerous threat in the AFC.
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