The majority of the AFC South is chasing the Houston Texans. Whether the three pursuers are getting closer to them is debatable.
While Houston struggled in comparison to its expectations last season, the Texans still reached the postseason and won a game for the second consecutive year before losing in the divisional round.
With C.J. Stroud and a strong defense, Houston is the favorite in the division once more, but the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans all spent the winter and spring making consequential moves.
Let’s look at where each stands going into OTAs and minicamp, starting with the Texans.
1. Houston Texans
Even with a very uneven offseason, Houston still runs the AFC South until further notice.
The Texans are two-time defending division champs and are the clear favorite to produce a three-peat here in 2025. Houston still has a stud quarterback-receiver combo in C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins, while running back Joe Mixon showed a year ago he has plenty left after posting 1,016 rushing yards in only 14 games.
The big question is whether Houston can block anybody. The line was horrid last year, giving up 54 sacks to rank third-most in the league. Now, left tackle Laremy Tunsil is gone after being traded to the Washington Commanders, and three new starters are in with guards Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson, and tackle Cam Robinson.
Defensively, this should be one of the best teams in the league. Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter are a terrific corner duo, while Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. provide a dynamic edge rush. This could be a top-five unit.
2. Indianapolis Colts
If the Colts had a quarterback they could depend on, they would be a popular pick as a playoff team. Unfortunately, that’s a massive if.
Indianapolis is hoping to get decent play under center from either Daniel Jones or third-year man Anthony Richardson, but there’s no reason to believe that will happen. The duo combined to throw more interceptions (19) than touchdowns (16) last season, and the offensive line is worse without guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly. The weapons are decent with receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell, along with running back Jonathan Taylor and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, but is it enough?
For the Colts to make a run at the division, the defense must be significantly improved. Lou Anarumo takes over as defensive coordinator, and he inherits a group which added corner Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum in free agency. The concern is edge rush, as second-year starter Laiatu Latu has to step up.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are trying to rebuild once more, this time with general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen leading the way.
Jacksonville is revamping the roster, having seen the retirement of center Mitch Morse, along with the releases of defensive back Ronald Darby, receivers Devin Duvernay and Josh Reynolds, and tight end Evan Engram. To replenish the team, Gladstone made a career-defining draft-day trade to land Travis Hunter at No. 2. In free agency, Jacksonville nabbed center Robert Hainsey, guard Patrick Mekari and corner Jourdan Lewis, among others.
Still, this is a team looking toward the future. The most important task in 2025 is getting Trevor Lawrence to play at a Pro Bowl level once again, something he has only done once in his four-year career. If Lawrence doesn’t get to that threshold again, his $55 million per year contract is a disaster, and leaves Jacksonville in an impossible position when compared to the AFC contenders.
4. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee is undergoing major changes with first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi taking over for the ousted Ran Carthon.
Borgonzi’s big bet is on Cam Ward, making him the No. 1 pick out of Miami. Ward was a stud for the Hurricanes, racking up 4,313 passing yards and a nation-high 39 touchdown tosses. Ward now goes to the Titans, who are looking for their first franchise quarterback since the days of Steve McNair.
If Ward is going to be successful, it’ll largely be because of coach Brian Callahan’s tutelage, along with running back Tony Pollard and receiver Calvin Ridley. The rest of the roster is lacking, specifically on the defensive side, where there are serious questions at all three levels of the unit.
If the Titans are in playoff contention on Thanksgiving, it’ll be a very successful year. If Ward looks like the future, that’s an even bigger win.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL Season: Ranking Every AFC South Roster.