One Bold Draft Move for Every AFC South Team

Presenting one scenario for all four teams in the AFC South that could shake up the draft.

Risk/reward plays a large part in building a football team. Drafting a quarterback early in the first round is a great risk, one that can set a franchise back a whole generation of players. The upside, though, makes it worth the risk: Finding that franchise quarterback who can lead the team for over a decade.

I am going through each division and naming one bold move each team could make either during or around the draft. For some, this means aggressively adding a player at a position of need; others would be bold by changing their usual strategy.

The AFC South is a division (presumably) on the rise, with all four teams likely to start quarterbacks on their rookie contracts in 2024.

Houston Texans

Turn their two second-round picks into a first rounder

Houston has been making bold moves since last year’s draft when they took quarterback C.J. Stroud second overall then traded up to take pass rusher Will Anderson at number three.

After a division championship, they haven’t slowed down, signing edge rusher Danielle Hunter and trading for receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason. So, what can Houston do that would be truly bold?

The Texans have already traded their first-round pick to the Vikings, acquiring Minnesota’s second rounders both this year (No. 42) and next year. The Jimmy Johnson draft pick trade value chart says that Houston’s own pick at 59 plus the 42nd pick could get them up near the 20th pick in the first round.

Chase Stuart’s more analytically inclined chart equates those two picks to the 11th selection. That leaves a space of about 10 picks where Houston could conceivably package their two second rounders if there’s a player available they like.

Cornerback might be the place they can upgrade most, particularly on the outside opposite Derek Stingley Jr. The team signed Jeff Okudah, a former third overall pick, to a small one-year deal, but there is room for another long-term contributor at corner.

Cooper DeJean from Iowa is seen as a high-level talent who can play both corner and safety, offering versatility for a renown defensive coach in DeMeco Ryans. DeJean seems like a first-round lock, so Houston could use their assets to move up and finalize a potentially great defense.

Indianapolis Colts

Secure Georgia tight end Brock Bowers

Indianapolis has a fairly solid roster, which is how they came within a game of the playoffs despite losing quarterback Anthony Richardson after he appeared in just four games. They could use more high-level talent to bring up the ceiling, but Indy is set up for success.

Tight end is probably the weakest part of their roster. Kylen Granson was fantasy-relevant a few times last year but finished with just 30 catches for 368 yards and one touchdown. Mo Allie-Cox is 30; Jelani Woods was intriguing as a prospect because of his 6’7 stature, but he missed all of 2023 after a mostly anonymous rookie season.

Bowers is seen as a top-five prospect by some but is likely to fall in the draft because of his position. There aren’t many fits in the top 10 unless a team uses a “best player available” approach and surprisingly takes the dynamic receiver.

The Bears pick ninth and only have four selections right now, so they could be willing to slide down to the Colts’ slot at 15 to pick up another second rounder (Indianapolis is at No. 46). Indy also need a cornerback and depth on the lines, but this would be a move aimed at adding that superstar talent the roster seems to currently lack.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Take one of the first two cornerbacks off the board

This could be the move for probably half the league; cornerback help is always needed. The team signed defensive backs Ronald Darby and Darnell Savage in the offseason, but adding a young, high-level player would give them the option of letting Tyson Campbell leave after the season if they can’t afford to re-sign him.

With Trevor Lawrence about to get paid over $50 million per year, cuts need to be made elsewhere. Drafting replacement talent is the best way to sustain a good roster, and both Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo and Terrion Arnold from Alabama are projected as building blocks for a defense.

The Jags could also use a true top receiver, but they would likely have to trade up to the ninth spot or higher for one of the elite prospects. The top corners are projected more in the 10-15 range by most, so Jacksonville could potentially give up their third-round pick to get the Raiders’ selection at 13, for instance, rather than trading their second rounder to get into the top 10.

There is enough depth in the draft that the Jaguars could sit back and grab a really good cornerback or receiver at No. 17, but the bolder move would be to aggressively target a player to raise the talent of the roster.

Tennessee Titans

Trade down multiple times in the first round

The Titans have been heavily linked to star left tackle prospect Joe Alt with their first-round pick seventh overall. That would be a great outcome for the team, hopefully solidifying the left side after they drafted left guard Peter Skoronski in the first round last year.

With a roster that has been diminished over the last several years, though, Tennessee could accumulate extra value by trading out of their top pick, particularly if only three quarterbacks have been taken by the time their slot arrives.

Many analysts predict that three quarterbacks will go in the top three picks, then the watch for a team trading up for J.J. McCarthy starts with the Cardinals’ pick at No. 4. If no team makes a move for McCarthy before the Titans come up, they could probably get picks 11 and 23 from the Vikings (with maybe more involved one way or the other).

The 11th pick would still offer a chance at a tackle who could probably start in Week 1, and the Titans would have another high pick to add a player on defense. They could also double down and continue to be active in the first round.

Trading back again from No. 23 would allow them to grab more value, including maybe a first rounder next year. As Carolina showed us by sending the top pick this year to Chicago, you never know where a future pick will fall, so there is upside there along with getting more picks in 2024.

The team upgraded by bringing in guys like Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley and Lloyd Cushenberry to raise the talent floor, but more young, cheap talent will allow them to build a sustainable team. The Titans can add a lot of future value if they show patience.

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