Ranking the Starting Quarterbacks in the AFC South

The AFC South is quite an interesting division. All four teams have had recent success in terms of reaching the postseason, and the division as a whole is quite competitive. Last year it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars were the favorites to win the AFC South while the battle for second would be between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans.

What followed was quite surprising, as the Houston Texans—who had a 3-13-1 record in 2022—completely flipped the script and ended up taking the top spot in this division at the expense of the Jaguars.

All four AFC South teams have their starting quarterbacks in place and ready to go for the new season. With Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson back after his injury, it will be exciting to see where all these quarterbacks rank against one another.

4. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

Will Levis’ rookie season did not go the way he would have liked. Playing in nine game with the Titans, he went 3-6, and it was evident he needed more time to adjust to the NFL level.

The Titans have undergone a big overhaul this offseason and have brought in big names in the receiving unit to help Levis. With DeAndre Hopkins already a part of the team, the Titans signed Calvin Ridley from Jacksonville and Tyler Boyd from Cincinnati.

Only time will tell whether these additional weapons on the offense will have any significant impact on Levis’ game, but for now, he occupies the last spot on this list.

3. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

The AFC South has three starting quarterbacks drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Richardson—who taken fourth overall in 2023—is the at No. 3 on this list.

Last year we were deprived of seeing him grow, as he went out injured after just four games.

Richardson is one of the biggest quarterbacks to have played in the NFL with a strong arm. He is a dual threat signal caller and his athletic ability is second to none. Richardson has a high ceiling, but needs to ensure he doesn’t put himself in harm’s way like he did last season.

Richardson has the ability to excel and lead the Colts to great heights, but at the moment, his sample size in the NFL is too small to rank him higher.

2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Ideally, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence should have easily been at the top spot in the AFC South. Lawrence will be entering his fourth season while the other three will be starting just their second. Furthermore, Lawrence has the ability to lead the Jaguars to better performances, but somehow things have not gone smoothly for him and the team.

There are a lot of expectations from the former No. 1 overall pick, but the Jaguars have also had their fair share of ups and downs. Last season, Jacksonville seemed to be in control of the division with an 8-3 start, but lost out to the Texans.

1. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Granted, C.J. Stroud has played just one year of professional football in the NFL, but man, what a season he had in 2023. Working with a first-time head coach in DeMeco Ryans and with no real star receivers to throw to, Stroud lit up the league in a way no rookie has done before.

He went toe-to-toe with some of the best teams and held his own and was the major contributor in turning the fortunes of the franchise in just one year. From 3-13-1 and last place in the AFC South in 2022 to 10-7 and top of the division in 2023, Stroud’s brilliance, as well as his confidence, was on full display.

If he continues his dominant form from last year in 2024, Stroud will reign supreme at the top of the AFC South quarterback rankings for sure.

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