Predicting The AFC South Standings In 2022

The AFC South is arguably the weakest division in the entire NFL, as half of the teams will be struggling to get out of the position of a top-5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which should leave a good battle between the two top teams for a spot at the division crown in 2022. There's a good chance that the team that misses out on the division title may miss the playoffs altogether, as there will be a good 5-6 teams vying for three Wild Card spots, so that makes every game in 2022 even more crucial in this division, so it should be a fun battle indeed to watch. 

4. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are preparing for a very tough year indeed, one in which they'll potentially end with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but with young talents like Derick Stingley, Davis Mills and Dameon Pierce, there's certainly going to be a silver lining to the rough season ahead. Trading Deshaun Watson was the best move for this franchise, and with plenty of draft picks coming, they have a good chance to rebuild around a solid young core, but unfortunately, the beginning of that is a rough year, so don't expect more than 4 wins in 2022.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off one of the worst stretches in NFL history, but if Trevor Lawrence can take the step that many expect of him in 2022, all that losing may have been worth it to land a generational talent in No. 16. They spent big in free agency, and will certainly take a step forward, but the level of experienced talent just isn't there yet in Jacksonville, but if they can move forward to 5-6 and potentially even 7 wins, they'll see this year as a good one and continue building on it towards 2023 and beyond. 

2. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans were the AFC's top seed a year ago, but with so many other teams getting better, and with the Titans losing a starting linebacker and trading away their top receiver, regression from overachieving in 2021 is completely natural. They won't be close to being a bad team, and if Derrick Henry can play for the entire season, he'll have another monster year, but the Colts just have too many weapons for Tennessee to catch up, and while it will be a close race, the lack of weapons on the outside is going to hurt the Titans just enough for second place. 

1. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have gone through a Quarterback carousel over the past few years, and while Matt Ryan can still certainly get it done on the field, he's just another in that line, with no future successor ready to step in and take over for Indy. Thankfully for them, Ryan can still play at a very high level, and with breakout seasons from Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. a year ago, this team has the offensive and defensive squad to win a division title in 2022. The pieces have been slowly coming together over the past few years, and if Ryan can be anywhere near the player he's been in Atlanta, this team should dominate the AFC South on the way back to the playoffs. 

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Photo Credit: George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK