For a while it was one of the worst divisions in the NFL, but last season the AFC South made a significant, three team jump with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans all finishing .500 or better. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars were the outliers at 3-13, but new head coach Doug Marrone will probably put a stop to that with the talent on that roster.
So who did the most to help their team with the 2017 NFL Draft? If you’ve paid any attention to my pre-draft coverage, you already know.
Houston Texans
The Haul: Round 1: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson, Round 2: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt, Round 3: D’Onta Foreman, RB, Texans, Round 4: Julie’n Davenport, OT, Bucknell, Round 4: Carlos Watkins, DT, Clemson, Round 5: Treston Decoud, Safety, Oregon State, Round 7: Kyle Fuller, Center, Baylor
Grade: A+
The Texans may have surrendered their first round pick in 2018, but landing the best quarterback in this draft class should take the sting off that next season. Watson alone doesn’t make this an A+ draft. They got Zach Cunningham from Vandy in Round 2. Not only is he a first round talent, he’s probably the second best overall defensive player in this draft after Reuben Foster. The idea of plugging Cunningham into the four-man linebacking corps with Brian Cushing, Bernadrick McKinney and Whitney Mercilus, should excite anyone except the teams the Texans will face on offense.
In the third round, Foreman won’t start as a rookie with Lamar Miller on the roster, but he’ll be a solid No. 2 and push Miller for the next two seasons. Foreman will certainly make moving on from back up running back Alfred Blue when his contract is up at the end of the season.
Adding to the A+ ranking was grabbing the seriously underrated Carlos Watkins in round four. He is, at worst, a second round talent and Kyle Fuller form Baylor in the seventh is a steal. He’s probably the third best center in this draft class.
Indianapolis Colts
The Haul: Malik Hooker, Safety, Ohio State, Round 2: Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida, Round 3: Tarell Basham, DE, Ohio, Round 4: Zach Banner, OT, USC, Round 4: Marlon Mack, RB, USF, Round 4: Grover Stewart, DT, Albany State, Round 5: Nate Hairston, CB, Temple, Round 5: Anthony Walker, Jr., LB, Northwestern
Grade: B
The Colts know what they need and wasted no time turning in picks that would significantly improve their defense. Hooker was my top-rated safety in this draft. He looks like the next Ed Reed to me and if he’s 80 percent of what I just wrote, the Colts are set at free safety for a decade. Wilson is a day one starter in the second round and had more than one first round grade in the mock draftverse.
Banner is probably a year away from starting at right tackle from the fourth round, Mack has the raw tools to be an NFL starter. He never recorded less than 1,041 yards in three seasons at South Florida and can catch the ball out of the backfield, which the Colts need to run their offense. In his USF career, Mack caught 65 passes for 498 yards and a touchdown.
Tennessee Titans
The Haul: Round 1: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan, Round 1: Adoree Jackson, CB, USC, Round 3: Taywan Taylor, WR, Western Kentucky, Round 3: Jonnu Smith, TE, FIU, Round 5: Jayon Brown, LB, UCLA, Round 6: Corey Levin, OL, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Round 7: Josh Carraway, OLB, TCU, Round 7: Brad Seaton, OT, Villanova, Round 7: Khalfani Muhammad, RB, California
Grade: B-
The picks for the Titans were the right position, just in the wrong spots. Corey Davis was the No. 5 wideout on my board for a reason and while I knew he would go in the first round, getting picked ahead of Mike Williams and John Ross is ridiculous. Adoree Jackson is a potential star at corner and as a punt returner and, after already taking Davis, Jackson was the pick. But they would have been better served going Malik Hooker at five then Ross, Williams or Davis at 18. If they weren’t there, grab Jackson as your second corner and roll with it.
Taywan Taylor in the second was probably a reach, but he could turn out to be a solid talent. Jonnu Smith in the third is an excellent pick and should be able to contribute as the No. 2 tight end behind Delanie Walker immediately. In all, the problem with this draft for the Titans is they added talent, but probably only one guy (Jackson) that can start this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Haul: Round 1: Leonard Fournette, Round 2: Cam Robinson, Round 3: Dawuane Smoot, DE, Illinois, Round 4: Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma, Round 5: Blair Brown, LB, Ohio, Jalen Myrick, CB, Minnesota, Marquez Williams, FB, Miami (OH)
Grade: B-
Here’s the problem with the Jaguars draft, at least in the first round. Picking Fournette makes no sense. Yes, he was my No. 1-rated running back in this draft, but the Jags already have a solid NFL starter in T.J. Yeldon and a waste of money NFL starter in Chris Ivory already on the roster. Obviously this is the end of Ivory’s tenure in Jacksonville, but there were other needs that could be addressed that early, specifically on defense at safety and along the defensive line.
Cam Robinson is a first round talent in the second and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take over the starting left tackle spot after the first month of the season, moving Brandon Albert to the right side.
I like Dede Westbrook’s potential as a wideout. I don’t see how he gets on the field with Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee in his way on the depth chart. I’m really surprised the Jaguars didn’t add an interior offensive lineman in this draft. There were plenty of options and a guy like Dorian Johnson makes a lot more sense for the Jags than Westbrook and the Cardinals picked him five selections later.
Williams was the third fullback taken in this draft. I can’t remember the last time that happened. it’s probably been a decade and shows the return of the power running game in the NFL.
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