AFC South Near Bottom of NFL Division Rankings After 2023 NFL Draft

The Tennessee Titans and the AFC South division got a lot more exciting during the 2023 NFL draft as three of the four teams added a young quarterback early. That, along with other additions made by the four teams, has led to the division as a whole not finishing as the worst in the NFL in a recent list from The List Wire.

NASHVILLE — Throughout the last half decade the AFC South, where the Tennessee Titans reside, has consistently been one of the least talent divisions in football. The Titans have been to the playoffs three out of the last four seasons and Jacksonville got a playoff win on wildcard weekend in 2023, but outside of that, through the last five years the division performance has been poor with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Jaguars struggling. However, according to a recent list done by Barry Werner of the List Wire, the AFC South was rated the sixth-best division in football.

While some of the teams in the division may have improved like Houston and Indianapolis, both were selecting in the top five in the previous draft so how much they improved is a fair question. Jacksonville is ascending, but at the same time, it would be fair to say the Titans are currently descending. That is a nice way to say it is a major surprise to see the Titans and the AFC South ranked sixth. Werner gave his reasoning for the ranking.

“This is tricky because the Jacksonville Jaguars figured to be one of the better teams in the conference, and eventually the league. However, behind Doug Pederson’s group is the Indianapolis Colts, who will go from a carousel of over-the-hill veteran QBs to a likely project in Florida rookie Anthony Richardson. Is anyone sold on Will Levis or is Tennessee banking on a return to health of Ryan Tannehill. Murky waters. The Texans should be better after getting the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in the draft. However, there is a difference between better and competitive.”

The odds are the Titans, Colts and Texans don’t compete for much this season, so again, the ranking of six is high. Below the Titans and the AFC South are the NFC North, at spot seven, and the NFC South, sitting in last. 

The NFC South does make sense. They have all the issues of the AFC South, but without a Jacksonville-level team. The NFC North is a confusing one. With the 13-4 Vikings, an ascending Detroit Lions team, a competitive Packers group and the Chicago Bears, it would seem to be a more talented division than the AFC South.

How it all shakes out in the regular season is all that matters though and the Titans, along with their division mates, will have a chance to prove this list very wrong, or very right.

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