The AFC South could be a sneaky good division in 2025. With the Houston Texans as the class of the division, the other three teams drafted high and brought in talent that could help each team compete against the Texans.
With the Cam Ward taken No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South has an interesting collection of young quarterbacks. C.J. Stroud with the Texans, Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars and if Anthony Richardson can get it together in Indy, the division could be very competitive…at the very least entertaining.
Which team improved themselves the most in building around those young quarterbacks? Based on other positional needs, NFL Mocks breaks down each team’s class.
AFC South draft class rankings based on needs and value
Here is a ranking of the draft classes highlighting draft selections that stand out for each team.
1: Jacksonville Jaguars: Will aggressive approach pay off?
New General Manager James Gladstone proved he’s not playing around in moving up to No. 2 to select two-way star Travis Hunter. Will this aggressive approach to building the roster pay off for Gladstone or will it end up being more of the same for the Jags?
Top Pick: Hunter can help put the Jaguars in the hunt in the AFC South. As a player who could quickly become the face of the franchise, Hunter will help the team on both sides of the ball. He’ll instantly be one of the team’s best corners and on offense he will give Trevor Lawrence a lethal 1-2 punch at the wide receiver position along with Brian Thomas Jr.
The question with Hunter is whether where he will make his impact more. Will it be offense or defense? Whatever it is (if not both), he must make the draft capital the Jags gave up selecting him worth it.
Surprise Pick: Not surprised by the player, but the Jaguars landing Wyatt Milum late on Day 2 will be one of those sneaky good picks by Gladstone who added a player who has the versatility to play guard or tackle if needed. At the very least, Milum gives them much-needed depth, but he should be prime competition for Ezra Cleveland.
Favorite Pick: Bhayshul Tuten could take over as the team’s lead back before all is said and done. Selected with the No. 104 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Virginia Tech product shined at the NFL Combine with a 4.32 40-time. Tuten, who led Virginia Tech with 1,159 yards on 183 carries not only has the speed but has the toughness that will remind Jag fans of Maurice Jones-Drew.
A potential steal of the draft: Fourth-round pick Jack Kiser is a high-volume tackler who could earn snaps year 1 as a linebacker. He will get an opportunity on special teams, but in learning behind Chad Muma, the Notre Dame product could find himself on the field more as the season moves forward.
2: Tennessee Titans: It’s not all about Cam Ward
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Titans held the key that could’ve driven the entire draft. They kept that key and could be in the driver’s seat when it comes to their next franchise quarterback.
Top Pick: The Will Levis experiment is over. Cam Ward was the top quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft and the Titans took a shot at making him the No. 1 overall pick. As a dual-threat quarterback with dynamic arm ability, the question when it comes to Ward is whether he can help elevate the Titans’ offense in 2025 like CJ Stroud did with the Houston Texans in 2023 and Jayden Daniels did with the Washington Commanders in 2024. If Ward can thrive under Brian Callahan, it may just be a NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year type season for the Miami Hurricanes product.
Surprise Pick: The Titans got a player in Elic Ayomanor who was projected as a second-round pick. The surprise here is them getting him in the fourth round. As a big body, down-the-field threat, Ayomanor has a great opportunity to develop and learn behind Calvin Ridley.
Favorite Pick: Gunnar Helm is a great pick for the Titans. Ward had a great receiving tight end at Miami in Elijah Arroyo and Helm should be a similar type of target with the Titans. With his athleticism, Helm will find his way on the field Year 1 and could end up being steal in the fourth round.
A potential steal of the draft: Another potential steal for the Titans is wide receiver Chimere Dike also taken in the fourth round. A speedy receiver, Dike is a vertical threat who Ward will love getting the ball to. In all, the Titans have two young receivers who could complement Ridley and become favorite targets of Ward.
3: Indianapolis Colts: Re-defining the offense
The Indianapolis Colts are still hanging on hopes that their 2023 first round pick Anthony Richardson will mature into their franchise quarterback. Will surrounding him with more playmakers and enhancing the defense make the Colts a threat in the AFC South?
Top Pick: Tyler Warren wasn’t the first tight end off the board as projected, but the Colts selecting him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft wasn’t surprising. What would’ve been a surprise is if the Colts didn’t select him if he was still on the board.
A pass-catching tight end who can contribute as a fullback and H-back, Warren will remind long-time Indy fans of Dallas Clark as a multi-dimensional tight end who could turn out to be the best tight end they have had since Clark. Coming off a stellar season at Penn State in which he hauled in 104 catches for 1,233 yards, Warren will be an immediate top target for Richardson or whoever is behind center in 2025 for the Colts.
Surprise Pick: Adding another cornerback at the top of the draft could be considered a surprise. With the selection of Justin Walley with the No. 80 overall pick in the draft indicates the Colts aren’t sold on their depth at corner behind Kenny Moore II. Following the issue with depth at the position over the past few seasons, the selection of Walley may end up being a very wise pick.
Favorite Pick: Besides Warren, love Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau selected in the second round for the Colts. A team needing to get more production off the edge, the Colts now have an interesting young duo in Tuimoloau and Laiatu Latu. The former Ohio State star recorded 12.5 in helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2024.
A potential steal of the draft: The Colts added depth at the running back position with the selection of DJ Giddens with the No. 151 pick in the draft. The team will lean on Jonathan Taylor again in 2025, but with Giddens on board they now have a viable backup who could end up forming more of a two-headed monster at running back for the Colts. Giddens rushed for 1,343 yards in his final season at Kansas State.
4: Houston Texans: Finding value at key positions
While the rest of the AFC South was making moves to challenge them for the division, the Houston Texans approach to the draft was to find players who could help get them even deeper in the playoffs. Without a first-round pick, the Texans did a good job.
Top Pick: Without a first-round pick, the Texans still got a player in Jayden Higgins who has the skills to be a late-first round pick. With the injury to Tank Dell, the Texans needed to add another wide receiver target to the mix for CJ Stroud and Higgins fits the bill. A big receiver with speed, Higgins looks to be in the perfect situation to make some noise in Year 1 and complement Nico Collins.
Surprise Pick: Jaylin Noel at No. 79 is the surprised pick for good reasons. In double dipping at the wide receiver position, the Texans are sending a statement that they want to be more explosive offensively by surrounding Stroud with size and speed at the playmaker position. They added size with Higgins and the speed comes with Noel who will help fill the void if Dell isn’t ready to go at the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Favorite Pick: A favorite pick is a player who will have to fight to make the team, but Iowa’s Luke Lachey is a player who could earn that third tight end spot behind Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover. The Texans also have Brevin Jordan and Irv Smith Jr. at the position, but there’s a reason the team added Lachey and he may just turn out to be a value pick in this draft.
A potential steal of the draft: Sixth-round pick Jaylen Reed is a physical safety out of Penn State who could earn snaps in the secondary. As a big play defender, Reed has the skillset to earn snaps in the defensive secondary in 2025 if not earn a starting role by the end of the season. He is also a capable returner, so much of his value can come on special teams at first.