Houston Texans and the state of the AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars

Lastly, the Jacksonville Jaguars are rightly favored to win this division. Starting with the head coach and quarterback, the Jags have one of the best duos in the league, with Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence.

Their offense will go as Trevor Lawrence goes, and it seems he is only ascending. The rest of their offense is a good group of playmakers, like Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby in the backfield. Calvin Ridley will be coming off his suspension and joins the receiver room with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, along with tight end Evan Engram. The Jaguars' offense makes for a dangerous group for Lawrence to work with.

The defense in Jacksonville is not on par with the offense, but there are solid pieces at every level. Josh Allen, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Travon Walker make a solid pass-rush trio, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and corner Tyson Campbell lead their respective position groups. In a division that could realistically see three of the four teams starting rookie quarterbacks, Trevor Lawrence all but guarantees Jacksonville as the top dog.

In summation, the AFC South is wide open, and the Houston Texans have an opportunity to take the division in 2023. Their influx of talent via free agency and the draft could vault them into contention for the division as early as this year. It largely depends on how rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and rookie head coach Demeco Ryans do in their new roles.