7. AFC South (Trevor Lawrence, CJ Stroud, Daniel Jones, Cam Ward)
There is a lot of potential with this division, but you could argue that all four quarterbacks are still in a 'we need to prove it' type of season. Trevor Lawrence was rather inefficient the first half of the 2025 season, before turning it on in a big way over the last month and a half.
It was not sustained for a majority of the season, and if you look across his entire career, there really isn't a lot of 'special.' Despite Lawrence having all the talent in the world, most of us are still wanting to see more in 2026.
CJ Stroud was excellent as a rookie but has since been rather average the past two seasons. Stroud is also in a bit of a make or break year, as he's been eligible for a contract extension, but if he can't elevate his game in 2026, I am not sure the Houston Texans would give him that deal.
Stroud has definitely been in that middle tier of starting quarterbacks since the start of 2024, despite Houston's success.
Daniel Jones was a borderline MVP candidate in the first half of 2025, but he and the Indianapolis Colts regressed big-time, and now Jones is coming off a major injury, so he's also quickly gone into an uncertain category and has really not amounted to much in the NFL thus far.
Cam Ward might honestly have the highest ceiling of any quarterback here. Rookie quarterback seasons can be misleading, as Ward's overall play was definitely a bit better than the raw stats might indicate, but that year two jump is a tough thing for passers to hit.
With a much improved situation around him, though, 2026 could see an elevation. Overall, the AFC South just does not scare you at this position.
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