Our series highlighting the biggest strengths and weaknesses of each NFL franchise returns today with the rundown of the AFC South.
Houston Texans:
Biggest Strength: Youth
Believe it or not, there are reasons to be excited by the Houston Texans, even if they have one of the worst rosters in the NFL. It seemed like the Texans were destined for purgatory prior to the 2021 season, but a four-win season provided hope that extended through to the off-season.
Not much will really change for the Texans in the short term. They’ll likely remain a struggling team for a couple of seasons due to a lack of top-tier talent at nearly every position. Players like Laremy Tunsil and Brandin Cooks are among the best at their positions, but the talent is few and far between in Houston.
However, Nick Caserio has drafted well and made some very shrewd moves in his first year as general manager. So much so, that you don’t have to squint too hard to see some light at the end of the tunnel for the Texans thanks to some exuberant youthfulness on the roster. The Texans drafted Davis Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft and the rookie was thrust into action early on with some pretty solid results. If the Texans give him a fair shake in 2022, he could well be their franchise quarterback moving forward.
The 2022 NFL Draft was a hit for the Texans, too. They drafted Derek Stingley Jr. 3rd overall, and though injuries and consistency of play could be a concern, he has a real shot to be an All-Pro calibre player in his rookie season. Other rookies like Kenyon Green, the Texans’ other first-round pick, Christian Harris, Jalen Pitre, and John Metchie III have a chance to be great for a franchise that needs something to rally around. If anything, the 2022 rookie class gives them a reason to believe.
Biggest Weakness: Lack of top-tier talent
Ultimately, great players win games. Coaching, scheme, and luck also come into the mix, and of course a well-balanced roster. The biggest impact comes from the best players, though. And that’s partly why the Texans succumbed to the third-worst record in the NFL last year. They had bright spots, as we’ve mentioned, but a real lack of top-tier talent hurt them.
The reason why the Texans have a lack of top-tier talent isn’t something you can sum up in a few words, but we’ll try: everything has sucked for a long time. The ownership and general day-to-day running of the team have led to some rash, confusing, and patently wrong decisions over the last few seasons that have greatly affected the on-field product. The amalgamation of that is just a gigantic mess that no smart free agent with a bevy of options wants to be a part of, regardless of how many zeroes are on the cheque.
The Texans haven’t been a free agent draw over the last few seasons and expunged all of their high draft picks from the last few years in a trade for Tunsil. That’s led to a roster built off late-round picks and budget free agent signings and veterans. The constant change on the coaching staff has led to a stunt in development for younger players as well. Hopefully, that all changes this season, but the roster still doesn’t have enough star names outside of Cooks and Tunsil.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Biggest Strength: Trevor Lawrence
There’s no reason to panic about Trevor Lawrence. The 2021 1st overall pick is going to be fine. His rookie season was a huge disappointment. Lawrence completed just 59.7 percent of his passes and co-led the league in interceptions (17). His play was erratic and a far cry from the composed big-play threat we saw in Clemson – but context is everything.
Lawrence was not put in a position to even remotely succeed under Urban Meyer. Meyer’s time with the Jaguars was an unmitigated disaster, with off-field antics somehow overshadowing the incredulous coaching. The supporting cast was lacklustre as well. A wide receiver room led by Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault doesn’t scream productivity – and the results backed that up.
The weight of expectation was too heavy for Lawrence – touted as one of the greatest quarterback prospects to ever come into the NFL – in his first season and he underwhelmed, but there’s still reason to be excited. Lawrence showed glimpses of all his physical tools at one point or another.
He has the arm strength, the arm talent, the athletic ability, size, and the smarts to dissect a defense. He’ll also have Doug Pederson in 2022 – something that will surely help his development. The Jaguars spent money this offseason at wide receiver. Lawrence is still just 22 years old. He’ll be a star in the NFL in no time.
Biggest Weakness: Offensive Line
The Jaguars weakness could easily fall into the same bracket as the Texans: a middling roster lacking a superstar talent. However, it could be the offensive line that holds the offense back in 2022. You could probably suggest that the Jags offensive line overperformed in 2021, and you’d be right. But the Jags lost Andrew Norwell to free agency at the end of the season, and long-time center Brandon Linder retired after 8 years with the team.
Brandon Scherff is a solid replacement at guard for Norwell. When he’s on the field, he’s one of the best guards in the NFL. That’s a big caveat, though. Scherff played just under 700 snaps in 2021, and hasn’t played more than 900 snaps since his second season in the NFL. His vulnerability to injuries scared a few teams off in free agency, but not the Jaguars. They also paid him like a player who hasn’t missed significant time due to injury.
Scherff makes the offensive line better, but the loss of Linder hurts the unit a lot. His spot will likely be taken by Luke Fortner, if the rookie can win the spot in training camp. On the other side of him will be Ben Bartch, who struggled in 2021. Both the tackle spots will be under scrutiny, and their ability to protect Lawrence could ultimately determine how the season goes.
On paper, it’s a weak unit. But last season’s line looked weak as well. We’ll see.
Indianapolis Colts:
Biggest Strength: Improvement at Quarterback
The Colts have been searching for an Andrew Luck replacement since his abrupt retirement ahead of the 2019 season. It’s been six different starting quarterbacks in six seasons for the Colts with varying degrees of success. Carson Wentz wasn’t as bad as some people would have you believe in 2021, but his performance wasn’t enough to convince the Colts that they had made the right move. Wentz was shipped off to Washington, and the Colts made a move for Matt Ryan.
The correct move. Ryan might be 37 years old and past his prime, but he’s still one of the more talented quarterbacks in the NFL. Ryan has been stuck on a bad Atlanta Falcons team for the last few seasons, taking sacks behind a horrendous offensive line, and relying on poor playmakers. Well, no longer.
The Colts offensive line is one of the better units in the NFL and should provide Ryan with sufficient protection. Michael Pittman Jr. is one heck of a receiver, and the running game is one of the best in the league. The offense won’t have to lean entirely on the play of Ryan as it’s an all-around balanced team, but Ryan gives the Colts the chance to be a playoff contender in a watered down AFC South.
Biggest Weakness: Questions at Left Tackle
Anthony Castonzo was a stalwart at left tackle for the Colts over the last decade. His retirement at the end of the 2020 season left a huge hole to fill. Franchise left tackles, like quarterbacks, aren’t a dime a dozen. The Colts initially signed Eric Fisher to take the mantle but he struggled in 2021 upon returning from a torn achilles, giving up 7 sacks and 41 total pressures.
The Colts elected not to retain Fisher, and instead, Matt Pryor sits atop the depth chart as the starting left tackle. Pryor impressed as a rotational tackle in 2021, but has only played at left tackle for a grand total of 172 snaps in his three-year career. He only gave up 8 total pressures with the Colts, but how he’ll transition to a full-time starting role on Ryan’s blindside is yet to be seen.
Scalability is an often overlooked facet of production. Pryor has shown that he can hang in limited snaps, but a heavy workload at the toughest tackle spot in the NFL is no joke.
Tennessee Titans:
Biggest Strength: Derrick Henry
The resurgent Titans defense has a case here, but Derrick Henry still exists. The All-Pro running back only played in 8 games in 2021, but rushed for well over 100 yards a game along with 10 rushing touchdowns. He was his usual dominant self and was on pace for another 2000-yard rushing season.
The Titans rushing attack performed well without Henry. D’Onta Foreman helped fill the void left after his injury, but Henry is still the straw that stirs the drink for Tennessee. No one can replicate what he does. His mix of power, speed, vision, and contact balance is unmatched in the NFL. With the Titans trading away A.J. Brown on draft night, their passing attack doesn’t have the same potential as last year.
Robert Woods is still a terrific receiver, but he’s coming back from a serious injury, and Treylon Burks is a rookie yet to take a snap in the NFL. The Titans will likely lean on Henry heavily in 2022, and even though teams will know what’s coming, they’ll struggle to stop it. Henry is the inevitable heartbeat of the Titans offense.
Biggest Weakness: Cornerbacks
The Titans defense made incredible strides from 2020 to 2021. Their third-down defense was historically bad in 2020. They were last in the NFL with teams converting 51 percent of their third down attempts against the Titans. In 2021, they were the sixth-best third down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 37-percent of their attempts. Everyone played their part, but it was the pass-rushing duo of Jeffrey Simmons and Harold Landry that really stood out.
It’ll be interesting to see how the defense operates in 2022, but on paper, the cornerback room has some question marks. Kristian Fulton performed well in his second season in the NFL, but he’s now locked in to be the Titans number one cornerback on the depth chart. Beside him is Caleb Farley. The Titans 2021 first-round pick played just 60 snaps in his rookie season, with a torn ACL putting an end to his campaign early.
Farley struggled with injuries in college and leading up to the NFL Draft, and though the Titans have Elijah Molden and Roger McCreary on the depth chart, they’ll need a lot from their former first round pick. The entire depth chart, barring veteran Buster Skrine, is young and still relatively inexperienced. They’ll need to step up in 2022 to help that Titans front continue to dominate.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @ThomasValenfine