State of the AFC South: Ranking the young Quarterbacks in the division

The days of the AFC South being looked at as a bottom-feeder division in the NFL is over.In terms of the division as a whole, it is arguably one of the top divisions in football heading into the 2024 NFL season. And with the offseason nearly over, it's time to do a deep dive into […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) warms up before playing against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium.
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The days of the AFC South being looked at as a bottom-feeder division in the NFL is over.

In terms of the division as a whole, it is arguably one of the top divisions in football heading into the 2024 NFL season. And with the offseason nearly over, it's time to do a deep dive into "State of the AFC South." 

State of the AFC South: QB

I will cover each position group and rank each team in the AFC South from one to four to show how each team stacks up on paper ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

This will be a five-part series ranking each position group. This piece will cover the QBs inside the AFC South. The rest of these articles heavily involved the entire room in the rankings; the QBs, though, are a bit different. Each room will be ranked solely based on their starting QBs because if all goes well, they are the only QBs on the roster that should see the field for their respective teams. 

State of the AFC South series:

Defense I Offensive Line I Running Back I Wide Receiver & TE 

AFC South Quarterback Rankings: 

Jan 7, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) stands in the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium.
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

1. Houston Texans

  • Starter: CJ Stroud
  • Backups: Davis Mills/Case Keenum

The Texans come in at first at the QB position, and I dont think anyone will be surprised by that. CJ Stroud is coming off one of the best rookie QB seasons we've ever seen. He and head coach DeMeco Ryans helped turn around a bleak Texans franchise in what felt like a blink of an eye. I think it's safe to say Stroud is the current best QB in the AFC South, and he probably has the clearest path to superstardom at the moment as well. He feels like the next great QB in the NFL, and the rest of the AFC South will have their hands full trying to slow down this young phenom. 

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Starter: Trevor Lawerence
  • Backups: Mac Jones/C.J. Beathard

After Stroud, I think the ranking depends on the topic at hand. This series covers who is currently better as we enter the 2024 season, so it was pretty easy for me to put the Jaguars and Trevor Lawerence at number two. Lawerence has had his ups and downs, but to be fair so have the Jaguars as a whole during his time as their starting QB. But Lawerence has undoubtedly flashed the ability to be one of the best QBs in the NFL. The Jaguars losing Ridley will hurt, but Lawerence has had success with significantaly worse WR rooms than the one they will have this upcoming season. With Lawrence under center, I think the Jaguars will always be in the discussion for the AFC South crown. 

3. Indianapolis Colts

  • Starter: Anthony Richardson
  • Backups: Joe Flacco/Sam Ehlinger

Coming in third in the AFC South are the Colts and Anthony Richardson. If Richardson was able to play a complete season last year, there is a chance we would discuss him in the same breath as Stroud. Richardson flashed next level potential during the four games he appeared in last year. And his dynamic skill set as a passer and a runner has many anxiously awaiting the 22 year old QBs return to the field this season. Unfortunately, the four-game sample size is too small to rank him over Lawerence at this time. If I were ranking the AFC South QBs off potential, Richardson would come in at number one, and in terms of current future outlook, I think there's a serious argument to have him ranked number two over Lawerence. 

4. Tennessee Titans

  • Starter: Will Levis
  • Backups: Mason Rudolph/Malik Willis

Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans are coming in at fourth in the AFC South. This ranking has less to do with me having a negative outlook on Levis and more to do with how highly I view the other three QBs in the divison. I think Levis' playstyle will always have him in the boom or bust category from week to week, but he has next-level arm strength,  and teammates seem to love playing for him. He is also the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC South, with his upcoming birthday in June, and he will turn 25 before the upcoming season. Lawrence will turn 25 in October, Stroud will turn 23 in October, and Richardson will turn 22 on May 22nd. This means Levis has arguably the least time to waste in terms of reaching his potential, and the Titans have given him plenty of weapons to work with for the upcoming season. 

Top 5 Quarterbacks In the AFC South:

1. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

3. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

4. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

5. Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars

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