Naturally, our focus is most often on where the Colts stand within the AFC South. After all, winning the division means a favorable seeding in the playoffs.
However, as a whole, where does the AFC South rank among the other seven divisions in the NFL? Pro Football Focus recently put together its divisional rankings, and the AFC South was near the bottom.
At the top of the list was the AFC North, followed by the AFC East. Last was the NFC South, with the AFC South coming just ahead of them at No. 7.
Although, for the time being, the AFC South is ranked among the worst divisions, PFF did say that this is a division with “a bright future,” with four potential franchise quarterbacks. The AFC South is a “division to watch.”
A year from now, if PFF does these rankings again, as alluded to, the AFC South could be in a very different standing.
Houston is one of the fastest-ascending teams in football right now. As I’ve discussed before in regards to the Colts, the recipe for a successful season is very much there, while as long as the Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence under center, they’re going to be competitive.
Even the Titans, who find themselves in the midst of a transition, could accelerate that timeline if Will Levis proves to be the quarterback of the future.
The name of the game in the NFL is having the quarterback position figured out, and as PFF alludes to, all four AFC South teams could potentially have that box checked.
Although there is plenty of upside and potential within this division, those elements don’t win football games–at least not in the moment. That upside and potential ultimatley has to be recognized first.
My guess is that even with the AFC South having a “bright future,” as PFF put it, this division still largely remains unproven, which is why they rank No. 7 on this list at this time.
From 2022 to 2023, the AFC South made quite a turnaround as they went from having one team with a winning record in the Jaguars at 9-8 to having three teams above .500, which included the Texans, who won a playoff game.
Another jump in 2024 for this division as a whole will have the AFC South moving up these rankings.