The AFC South's Best Choices During the Break Before 2025

Just as the Jacksonville Jaguars' braintrust of General Manager James Gladstone and Head Coach Liam Coen have been drawing up the blueprints for what they intend to be a rebirth for professional football in Northern Florida, starting in 2025, the other teams of the AFC South have been doing all the same, but at different levels of their maturation.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are both in their third seasons with Head Coaches DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen, respectively. The Tennessee Titans are in Year No. 2 with Brian Callahan, while the Jags, of course, are starting anew with Coen.

These franchises make decisions to better their collective standings in the division, conference, and the league as a whole. Recently, PFF's Every AFC team's best offseason decision highlighted the best choices made by teams. For the Jags' three bracket-mates, what were their best football acts leading up to 2025 that Josh Hines-Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and the Jaguars will deal with this year?

The Texans are looking to extend their stranglehold on the division for the third consecutive year. In order not to slip, a big focus for Ryan's and Co. was the focus on strengthening the WR corps.

"The Texans’ offensive line will be under the microscope all season, but they were right not to force themselves to select a lineman early in the draft. Instead, they traded down to acquire additional draft assets while loading up at wide receiver, another position of need."

"Houston eventually added Iowa State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who each offer a unique skill set that should provide the outside depth needed beyond superstar Nico Collins."

The Tennessee Titans didn't do much right in 2024, but it helped them acquire Cam Ward with the No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. For that, they were lauded.

"Tennessee’s fate is tied to its new quarterback, Cam Ward. It’s hard to argue against their selection of Ward with the first-overall pick in the draft after his 2024 season with the Miami Hurricanes. Ward was college football’s highest-graded quarterback last season, throwing 39 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. If the Titans are going to climb out of the NFL’s basement, it will be because of Ward."

Despite overlooking their dreary situation at QB, PFF felt the Indianapolis Colts made their best off-season move when they selected Penn State TE Tyler Warren in Round 1.

"Drafting tight end Tyler Warren may have been the Colts' easiest decision all offseason, but it was also their best. The team's tight ends ranked 29th in the NFL in PFF receiving grade last season. Meanwhile, Warren led all Power Four tight ends in a slew of receiving categories at Penn State in 2024. He’s a perfect fit in Shane Steichen's offense and should make life much easier for whoever is playing quarterback for Indianapolis."

What will the Jaguars as a collective have to do to counteract these decisions? Whatever they are, the decisions of their division rivals will be considered.

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