As for the two bottom dwellers in the Jaguars and Texans, they are each entering the upcoming year with intriguing second-year quarterbacks in Trevor Lawrence and Davis Mills. Who Will Be the Eagles Next Offensive and Defensive Coordinators? They also have the third-easiest schedule in the NFL based on projected win totals and the sixth-easiest based on their win percentage in 2021. So, the roster and coaching staff should be much improved in 2022 along with general improvement by the players already in-house. NFL Team News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumors, The Rest: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. In Tennessee, the Titans shipped out A.J. Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta addresses ongoing Lamar Jackson contract situation. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) - 2MAW613 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Williams is a number one corner for the first time in his career after playing with Jalen Ramsey for the past few seasons. We have already completed ones for the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North and NFC North. Daxton Hill (first round) has the talent to play anywhere in the secondary. While these are not superstar numbers they stand high over the likes of other players in the division like Folorunso Fatukasi and Rasheem Green. However, In a similar situation to the linebackers, after Byard, there are not many great safeties. 1 WR every time. Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy addresses play calling changes for Cowboys in 2023. The Colts drafted Kwity Paye in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. With Bowen came the hiring of senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz, in a role that has little description from the team, but huge ripple effects on the film. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. Here, well-coached means the last one. He has plenty of upside on the outside and has great character as evidenced by his wearing No. More Latest NFL The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The AFC South won't be mistaken for a super competitive division, but it did boast the No. Quarterback - The Colts have been barely surviving year-to-year with old, washed-up veteran quarterbacks since Andrew Luck retired, and it remains by far their biggest position of need. There's little reason to believe that will improve this season. However, the rest of their opponents will be difficult, particularly during the stretch between Week 9 and Week 13. Head coach Doug Pederson on the Jacksonville Jaguars learning from last season's second half and how they can build on that for the upcoming 2023 season. By submitting your email, you agree to our. Hes owed a non-guaranteed $15 million base salary in 2023. Today, well analyze the needs for each team in the division and how they can get more competitive for next season. Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus breaks down the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine process for the Chicago Bears. 2022 AFC South All-Division Team: The Defense Defensive End: Jeffery Simmons, Titans On the one hand, the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars both Today, we look at the edge (DEs and OLBs) and see where Miami flourished in that area. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch commends 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's decision to delay his UCL surgery. The best defensive end in the division is. This duo combined for 22 TFLs and 17.5 sacks in 2021. There should be competition at virtually every position except outside cornerback, where. Last season mostly felt like treading water; now the Texans should start moving forward. Sign up for the Jets Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. He was targeted 58 times during the season, yet only allowed a 51.7% completion rate. The division has plenty of young edge defenders who should be staples in their teams defense for years to come. The Jets should figure out a way to lock up Huff going forward. 1 After Their First Loss? The defensive line would be a great start. Top NBA Duos, Bears No. 2022 preseason All-AFC South Team: Matt Ryan-led Colts dominate offense, share defensive spotlight with Titans - CBSSports.com Here's a look at the top Bradlee Anae spent most of the season on the practice squad but was signed to the active roster before Week 18. Wide Receiver - The possible return of John Metchie III would go a long way in helping this receiving room for next year, but thats an uncertainty at this point. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories. SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION HOLIDAY BOWL. Offensive Tackle - The identity of Tennessees offense has been the run game for the past five or so years. Although he is a rookie and unproven his upside is through the roof and gives the Texans secondary some hope. Harold Landry is only 26 years old and has seen his skills improve massively from his rookie year and as a result, was elected to his first Pro Bowl in 2021. Byard is a two-time All-Pro and is considered one of the best safeties in the league. The off-ball linebackers are totally overhauled. How can this be, if the aggressiveness of the Schwartz front necessitates an additional player in the box to fit the run? College Junior Oregon. The Houston Texans can upset the AFC South division race with three remaining divisional games to close out the 2022 season. Aside from a name change this past off-season. AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Micah Parsons. They are backed up by DeMarcus Walker, another 6-foot-4 280-pounder. Not every pickup or draft pick will work out. AFC South . He also presents one of the biggest questions for the Jets. The Tennessee Titans have the worst offense in football. This is becoming old hat for head coach Mike Vrabel, the NFLs reigning Coach of the Year after the Titans 12-5 2021 season. Should the Bears Take Calls for Justin Fields? Indianapolis Colts: 125. A 2019 sixth-round selection because of his lack of size, the 5-foot-11, sub-230-pound Long darts around the field, sneaking under blocks, popping into gaps, and offering a wide range of coverage influence on passing downs. Everyone wants an offensive tackle in the first round and that is completely understandable. How frisky are the Bengals? Edge - The Titans have done a lot to try to address this position over the past few off-seasons, but nothing has been super effective. Henry was coming off a foot injurya death knell for a running back of his size and career workload. As the defensive linemen took the podiums in Indianapolis on Wednesday, I thought it would be interesting to ask a bunch of them for the one play they would show anybody if asked for the real highlight shot. Meanwhile, the Colts upgraded at quarterback with Matt Ryan. Tennessee is allowing a conversion on 27.9 percent of their third downs facedby far the best mark in the league. Other blendings are more schematic. The Colts signed Stephon Gilmore this offseason to help bolster a young Colts secondary. A defensive line that attacks upfield through individual gaps allows opposing offensive linemen to easily climb to the second level. Wide Receiver - Michael Pittman Jr. has been pretty solid in his time in Indianapolis, but the team still lacks real explosiveness and playmaking out of the position group. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Buckners talent and experience will help the Colts this year in their attempt to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2021. John Franklin-Myers did record five sacks in 2022, but was quiet in the second half of the season and his roughing the passer penalty against Mac Jones on what would have been a pick-six was arguably the turning point of the season. He has everything you look for Aspiring college or profootball journalist? But that doesnt mean they dont send linebackers and defensive backs from depth to disrupt the offense. Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski speaks on Browns' 2023 offseason changes. The AFC South is set to look much different in 2022 than years past. Instead, the Titans will randomly send a defensive back or linebacker from depthnot from a clear, on-the-line position. They signed Harold Landry III to a big extension, but he hasnt been able to produce much because of injuries. In just two years, Bowen and Schwartz have turned this defense into one of the leagues best. The Titans' statistical profile was closer to that of a 9-8 team than a No. For Jacksonville to realistically hit this over, they'd need to sweep the Texans, beat the Commanders in the opener on the road, beat the Giants at home in Week 7, and earn road wins against the Lions (Week 13) and Jets (Week 16). Teams with lots of energy and intensity are often called well-coached, independent of the actual energy of the coach. The same cannot be said for the Colts and Jaguars, who bring back the starters from last season who are solid but they hope to make up for it with good coaching and more experience. This isnt a strong group but they cover it up with a scheme and excellent defensive line play. Theyre the worst offense in football in terms of yards per drive, but theyre 24th in expected points added per play, 21st in DVOA, 26th in points per game. Many teams (like Pederson's former employer) de-emphasize the position, but the Jaguars invested major resources in. Hendrickson, who spent his first season with the Bengals last season, recorded his second straight season with at least 13.5 sacks while finishing the 2021 NFL season with 14 total sacks. The Tennessee Titans had the best rookie class in 2022 grade-wise, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. The Titans' coaching staff and front office deserve the benefit of the doubt. Cincinnati Bengals Rookie Class Impact for 2022 The defending AFC champs didnt land much in terms of immediate help, but Cincinnati did add depth in a few key areas. Leonard is currently on pace for a Hall of Fame career and is one of the premier talents in the division and league. Playing with late rotations and changing gaps can be risky for the defense, but when these gambits work, they create positive plays for the defense and force opposing offenses into late down-and-distance situations. Defense Article: 2022 AFC South Defense Breakdown by Position. The Titans still line their defensive ends out wide and still get an explosive outside rusher onto the field, but they pair that speedy outside player with a solid, physical one on the other side. Will the Colts' acquisition of Carson Wentz pay off? It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The Titans totaled nine sacks in that game against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (Fantasy Football Outlook for 2022). Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones had a very different approach than Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham for the coin toss ahead of Super Bowl LVII. Baltimore Ravens. Are the Seahawks poised to surprise? Stephon Gilmore is nowhere near the player he was during his DPOY run in 2019. Behind Leonard, there is a steep drop in terms of talent. Going from the dumpster fire that was the Urban Meyer era to new head coach Doug Pederson will do wonders for the Jaguars. Vander Esch missed a majority of the 2019 season due to a nerve issue in his neck. Gregg Rosenthal projects the starters for every team in the NFC West. Byard tallied five interceptions and 88 combined tackles. The brother of Azeez, BJ could be an option on day two for the Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars added Foye Oluokun in free agency and drafted Devin Lloyd in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has massive upside as a pass rusher with Hall is an amazing athlete possessing an elite combination of strength, height, long arms, and ridiculous speed as well as change Cameron Thomas is rocketing up draft boards at the moment and with good reason, he's athletic with an incredible set of pass-rushi Mafe Boye has been rocketing up draft boards since his impressive Senior Bowl outing. Interior OL - The addition of Brandon Scherff was a good one for the Jaguars last off-season. Even with that, he is still the best cornerback in this division. Brown, and now hes doing it without them. They develop players well and come up with a cohesive group even when there are questions at so many positions. If they do dip into the market, these could be a few names worth checking out. But at the snap, the Titans personnel tips the scales in their favor. The 2018 sixth-round pick earned himself a three-year, $45 million deal to play for Jacksonville during the off-season. Landry had 12 sacks and 14 TFLs in 2021 as the leading pass rusher on the Titans 2021. 42. Simmons and Autry also spend time rushing the passer on the edge. The Titans edge rushers include Harold Landry and Bud Dupree. So pretty bad. Yet, overall, the division has talent at each and every defensive position. Head Coach. Is this the Browns' year? Current student at SNHU. The defense should also benefit from the addition of Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who notched 10 Gregg Rosenthal projects the starters for every team in the NFC North. In Kevin Byards second season with the Titans, he was nominated to his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams and was considered one of the leagues foremost safeties. Ron Rivera enters his 26th season coaching in the NFL and his third as Washingtons head coach in 2022 after being named the 30th head coach in franchise history on Jan. 1, 2020. Despite this, Gilmore can still be a starter on most teams. Raiders hire former Ravens OLB coach Rob Leonard as new defensive line coach. The Jaguars and Texans are both teams that struggle to rush the passer. The Titans made sure to secure Landry by signing him to a five-year, $87.5 million dollar deal this past off-season. At the same time, theyll drop defensive linemen into coverage and rotate the remaining defensive backs to create confusion and save time for the rush to arrive. He brings that physicality to the Titans defense. Even as the Tennessee offense has sunk this season, the defense is putting on a master classand is keeping the Titans atop the AFC South. Texas Tech linebacker Tyree Wilson wakes up with "GMFB" and shares his recovery from fractured foot, how he transferred to Texas Tech. Broncos; Chargers; Chiefs; NFC East . Not only did the Colts bring in Ryan, but they helped add to a defense that already was inside the top-10 in DVOA last season by signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore and trading for pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. However, the former number seven overall pick is the closest there is. Well, in Tennessee, things are slightly different. Instead, veteran Marcus Mariota and 3rd-round rookie Desmond Ridder will compete for the starting job. After being one of the leagues worst just a couple short years ago, theyve developed into arguably the best in the NFL. The 2022 version of the Texans has a lot of young players, especially the rookies, who could stick as core pieces. Star wide receiver A.J. The Titans drafted Caleb Farley in the first round in 2021 who suffered an injury and missed his rookie season. Despite the clear Schwartzian influence along the Titans defensive line, the teams strategies for pass coverage behind Schwartzs fronts are updated with more modern sensibilities. After winning the AFC South in 2022, and with a group of emerging, young players like Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, defensive ends Josh Allen and Players who performed better in Houston last season than you probably realize: This roster is a start. pic.twitter.com/lxqFechekA, Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 29, 2022. He isn't George Karlaftis is a freakish athlete with an elite massive frame and is a natural dominating pass rusher. We Like Our Guys: Analyzing the Dallas Cowboys Final Roster, 2022 AFC South Breakdown by Position: The Offense. While facing teams like the Chiefs, Eagles, and Chargers isn't exactly a walk in the park, they do all come at home, which is a nice advantage for Indy. All Rights Reserved. Okams exit was official a week ago and today Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced that outside linebackers coach Rob Leonard has been hired by the