Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC South Draft Newcomers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2026 NFL draft is now over. We will take a look around the AFC South and see how each team did and give power rankings based on these moves.
Houston Texans: The biggest needs entering the draft were OL, DL, LB, edge and DB.
Draft picks: G/C Keylan Rutledge, DT Kayden McDonald, TE Marlin Klein, G/C Febechi Nwaiwu, LB Wade Woodaz, S Kamari Ramsey, WR Lewis Bond, LB Aiden Fisher.
Rutledge (Georgia Tech) was picked in the first round with the 26th pick. He’s 6’4, 316 lbs. and he has a lot of experience. He plays relentlessly through the whistle, finishing blocks with the ability to put defenders on their back. The Texans need the strengthen the offensive line so this was a good pick.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud has gotten worse in each of his three seasons. He made the Pro Bowl (2023) as a rookie but has struggled to play like that again.
Houston added running back David Montgomery (Detroit) in free agency. They have also overhauled the offensive line.
Houston has an elite defense that ranked first in total defense in 2025. Drafting defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) will strengthen the interior defense and help stop opponents from running the ball.
I think they’re the best team in the division and that’s considering inconsistent quarterback play. If Stroud can play like he did in 2023, the Texans will be Super Bowl contenders.
Indianapolis Colts: Their biggest team needs before the draft were edge, LB, S, OL and WR.
Draft picks: LB C.J. Allen, S A.J. Haulcy, G/C Jalen Farmer, LB Bryce Boettcher, EDGE George Gumbs, EDGE Caden Curry, RB Seth McGowan, WR Deion Burks
The Colts did not have a first round pick this year or next because they traded that to the Jets for CB Sauce Gardner.
I like the CJ Allen (Georgia) pick because they have a vacancy at middle linebacker. They traded LB Zaire Franklin to Green Bay for DT Colby Wooden. Franklin averaged 161 tackles over the last four seasons.
Indy started the season 8-5, then QB Daniel Jones went down on December 7, 2025 against Jacksonville with a torn Achilles. That injury typically takes one year to come back from so he should miss most of the 2026 season.
I pick them to finish third in the division.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The biggest team needs were LB, edge, DL, OL and S.
Draft picks: TE Nate Boerkircher, DT Albert Regis, G/C Emmanuel Pregnon, S Jalen Huskey, EDGE Wesley Williams, TE Tanner Koziol, WR Josh Cameron, WR C.J. Williams, EDGE Zack Dufree, LB Parker Hughes
Their first pick was at No. 56, where they drafted blocking tight end Nate Boerkircher (Texas A&M). The best player they drafted was OG Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon). He has potential to become a starter right away.
The Jags hope Travis Hunter can return from his torn LCL and make a big impact in 2026.
They did lose their leading rusher Travis Etienne in free agency when he signed to New Orleans.
They should be second in the division but I’m not sure they’ll make the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans: The biggest team needs were OL, edge, WR, RB and LB.
Draft picks: WR Carnell Tate, EDGE Keldric Faulk, LB Anthony Hill Jr., G/C Fernando Carmona, RB Nicholas Singleton, DT Jackie Marshall, G/C Pat Coogan, TE Jaren Kanak
Carnell Tate (Ohio State) was the first receiver drafted at No. 4. It’s good they paired a weapon with second year QB Cam Ward. I think they drafted extremely well but they’re still a bad team.
Tennessee will finish last.
Jason Bishop Show March 12 2026
Jason Bishop Show Janaury 16 2026
Southern Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2025 NFL Draft starts April 24, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. We are going to take a look around the AFC South and see what position each team should address in the first round.
Tennessee (3-14): The Titans are tied with Cleveland and the New York Giants for the worst record in the NFL. That earned them the first pick in the 2025 draft.
Quarterback Will Levis was drafted in the 2nd round, No. 33 by the team in 2023. He started the season opener and for a total of twelve games.
He passed for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and he completed 63% of his passes. He showed that he takes risks and throws bad interceptions. I think Tennessee has to look at their QB of the future.
The most likely candidate to pick is Cam Ward (Miami). This year’s quarterback class is considered weak but Ward is the best in this class.
He transferred from Washington State and played great at Miami. He threw for 4,313 yards, 39 TD’s, 7 interceptions and completed 67% of his passes.
He also rushed for 204 yards and 4 scores. Ward won the Davey O’Brien Award (2024), Manning Award (2024), ACC Player of the Year (2024) and Consensus All-American (2024).
Jacksonville (4-13): The Jags need help on the defensive line or in the secondary. They have the fifth pick so I think they will draft a pass rusher.
The best pick is Abdul Carter (Penn State). He was an off-ball linebacker his first two years before he was moved to edge rusher for the 2024 season.
In 2024 he had 43 solo tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Carter was a Unanimous All-American (2024), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2024) and two-time first-team All-Big Ten (2023, 2024).
He’s 6’3 and 259 pounds so he has great size and speed. He’s a great athlete that could have an immediate impact like another Penn State pass rusher has recently, Micah Parsons.
Indianapolis (8-9): The Colts were only one game under .500 so they are close to becoming a playoff team. They have the No. 14 pick.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson was drafted 4th in the 2023 draft. In his two seasons he has only played in 15 games. They are really hoping he can stay healthy and make a drastic leap going into his third season.
Indy can go in a couple of different directions with this pick. They could select an offensive lineman or defensive back.
If they pick a lineman it could be inside offensive lineman Armand Membou (Mizzou). He was a tackle at Missouri but he’s 6’3 and 332 pounds so he’s not the ideal size for an NFL tackle. He will probably be moved inside to guard.
If they pick a DB safety Malaki Starks (Georgia) might be the pick. He’s very smart and athletic so he would be a great fit.
Houston (10-7): The Texans were very inconsistent but they still won the division and a playoff game. Second year QB CJ Stroud regressed and the offensive line did a bad job protecting him. They can address the offensive line, defensive line or add a weapon on offense. They are picking No. 25.
I think they might draft guard Grey Zabel (North Dakota State). He’s listed as 6’6, 305 lbs. and he’s a two-time FCS national champion. He was also named first-team FCS All-American (2024).
Jason Bishop Show April 26
Moving Pieces
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Wednesday, March 13, after 4 p.m. Eastern Time NFL free agency will officially begin.
Let’s take a look at the AFC South to see what needs each team should address.
Indianapolis: The Colts were 9-8 last season and missed the playoffs.
They drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson (Florida) No. 4 in 2023. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, so backup Gardner Minshew played the remainder of the season.
The biggest goal should be building around Richardson.
Key Free Agents: WR Michael Pittman, Gardner Minshew, CB Kenny Moore, DT Taven Bryan, RB Zack Moss, S Julian Blackmon and DT Grover Stewart.
Indy should make it a priority to bring Pittman back since he’s their No. 1 receiver.
The biggest team needs are backup QB, safety, wide receiver, cornerback and D-line/ run stoppers.
If Pittman returns, they still need to add WR depth and another playmaker. The secondary struggled in 2023 and they could lose Moore, who is their most experienced player.
They ranked 24th against the run last season and they might lose Stewart in free agency.
They have $73.9 million in salary cap space.
Tennessee: The Titans were 6-11 last year and fired head coach Mike Vrabel. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was hired to replace him.
Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill was benched so they could evaluate rookie Will Levis (Kentucky).
Derrick Henry had 1.381 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage, making it to his fourth Pro Bowl in five seasons. Neither of these players are not expected to return next season.
Key Free Agents: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, DE Denico Autry, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, C Aaron Brewer, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and CB Kristian Fulton.
Pittsburgh is reportedly interested in Tannehill. Henry has been the most physical running back in the NFL for the last few years. He’s 30 years old and unfortunately a running back’s age should be counted in dog years. The Titans are rebuilding and I’m sure he wants to join a contender.
The key positions to address are offensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback and wide receiver. They have $80.7 million in available salary cap space, so they can add some talent.
Houston: The Texans were 10-7 in 2023, won the AFC South and won a playoff game.
They far exceeded expectations under first year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
QB C.J. Stroud was the Offensive Rookie of the Year and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Key Free Agents: TE Dalton Schultz, DE Jonathan Greenard, DT Sheldon Rankins, CB Steven Nelson, WR Noah Brown, RB Devin Singletary and K Ka’imi Fairburn.
The biggest team needs are running back, tight end, cornerback, defensive tackle and defensive end.
Houston has over $70 million in available cap space.
Jacksonville: The Jaguars were 9-8 and missed the playoffs. They were expected to win the division and make a playoff run going into the season.
Key Free Agents: WR Calvin Ridley, Edge Josh Allen, LG Ezra Cleveland, K Brandon McManus, WR/return specialist Jamal Agnew and CB Tre Herndon.
The Jags declined to sign Allen to an extension of his rookie contract and he recorded a franchise-record of 17.5 sacks last season. Now his salary is set to drastically increase, whether they negotiate a new contract or use the franchise tag.
It should also be a priority to retain Ridley. He led the team in receiving yards (1,016) and touchdowns (8).
The biggest needs are interior offensive line, cornerback, wide receiver and D-line.
The Jags have $25.7 million in salary cap space.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch February 8
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch September 15
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch January 20
Down Here
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL season is underway and there is a lot of room for improvement for several teams. We are going to take a look at the AFC South and preview the Week 2 matchups.
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville: This sounds crazy to say but the Colts acquired Matt Ryan to win games like this. Last season with a playoff berth on the line in Week 18, Indy lost in Jacksonville (3-14) to a bad team. That’s when they realized they had to move on from Carson Wentz and upgrade the quarterback position.
On paper it looks like the Colts have a complete team and they only need solid quarterback play to make a deep playoff run. They tied division rival Houston in Week 1, 20 – 20. Matt Ryan did throw for 352 yards and a touchdown in his debut but he also had two turnovers.
The Jaguars are coming into the season with optimism. Doug Pederson is the new head coach and he’s the man that finally brought a Super Bowl to Philadelphia. Trevor Lawrence is also expected to drastically improve in his second year in the league. The Jags lost to Washington 28 -22 to start the season.
The Colts are looking to send a message to Jacksonville and they will win convincingly.
Houston @ Denver: The Texans are expected to be a bad team but they put up a very good fight against Indy. The game ended in a tie but they did lead 20 – 3 going into the fourth quarter.
Lovie Smith is in his first year as head coach. He served as associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Texans for the 2021 season. The defense recorded 25 takeaways in 2021, tied for tenth.
“Obviously we didn’t lose the game, but it kind of feels that way since we were up, we were doing so many good things in the beginning and then they came back,” Houston linebacker Christian Kirksey said.
Quarterback Davis Mills threw for 240 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions and completed 62% of his pass attempts.
Receiver Brandon Cooks led the team with 7 receptions for 82 yards. Houston struggled running the ball, gaining 77 yards on 28 attempts.
We all know the Broncos have Russell Wilson now but I don’t think they are an elite team.
I pick Denver to win but not a blowout.
Tennessee @ Buffalo: This is a Monday Night Football game so we expect it to be good.
They played Monday night last season and the Titans won, 34 – 31. Some things have changed since last year though because the Bills are the favorite to win the AFC.
They started the season by blowing out the defending Super Bowl champion Rams on the road, 31 – 10. Josh Allen looks like he might win MVP this season.
Tennessee lost a close game to the Giants 21 – 20 so they are looking for their first win of the season. Derrick Henry played his first regular season game since his 2021 foot injury. He rushed for 82 yards on 21 carries. Ryan Tannehill is looked at as the weak link, which is why they drafter quarterback Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft.
They also traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to Philly on the first day of the draft so they are missing a key weapon.
I expect Buffalo to win by double digits.
