State of the AFC South: Ranking the running backs and top 5 players across the division

Position Group: 

1. Indianapolis Colts

Projected Starter: 

• Jonathan Taylor 

Depth: 

• Evan Hull
• Trey Sermon

Ranking the RB position group is a bit tricky because I think the Titans and Texans have the edge in terms of depth RBs, but the starters of the Colts and the Jaguars are better by a significant margin. I think Jonathan Taylor is the clear best RB in this division and one of the best individual RBs in the NFL. The Colts saw backup RB Zack Moss leave in free agency to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, which means we will likely see Taylor return to being a true three-down bell cow in Indianapolis. And the last week saw him in Week 18. He showed just how dominant he is by rushing for 188 yards and a touchdown against the Texans. 

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

Projected Starter:

• Travis Etienne Jr.

Depth: 

• Tank Bigsby
• D'Ernest Johnson

While I think Travis Etienne is the clear 2nd best RB in the AFC South, I believe he is closer to being first than he is to being third. Etienne's dual-threat ability makes him a dynamic weapon in the Jaguars offense. He's so dynamic that the Jaguars have built a RB room behind him where if Etienne had to miss time, they would use two players to fill that void, with Tank Bigsby as the power runner and D'Ernest Johnson as the pass catcher and speed back. 

3. Tennessee Titans 

Projected Starter:

• Tony Pollard

Depth: 

• Tyjae Spears
• Haasan Haskins

Regarding depth in the RB room, I think the Titans have the best backup in the AFC South in Tyjae Spears. I just doubt the Titans' two-man backfield will be more effective than either Taylor or Etienne in the Colts and Jaguars offenses. In terms of their starter, the Titans signed former Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard. Pollard rushed for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns last season, as well as catching 55 passes for 311 yards. I have a hard time believing Will Levis, whose eyes typically don't look to the check down, will utilize Pollard in the passing game at a similar rate that he was used in Dallas, but I think he will be more than productive enough in the run game. 

4. Houston Texans

Projected Starter:

• Joe Mixon

Depth: 

• Dameon Pierce
• Dare Ogunbowale

The Texans saw an incredible rookie season from CJ Stroud elevate their team to heights that I don't even think they believed they could reach last season. But it was pretty clear throughout the year that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik still wants the rushing game to be a major part of their offense. But last year, they didn't have the talent to do so effectively. They reportedly considered a bigger swing at RB, trying to sign star Saquon Barkley, but weren't able to succeed in that pursuit. But they still upgraded this offseason by trading for former Bengals RB Joe Mixon, who should raise the floor and ceiling of their run game significantly from last season.  

Top 5 Running Backs In the AFC South:

1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

2. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

3. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

4. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

5. Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans