NFL News & Rumors » AFC South

Welcome to NFLNR! If you are new here, please subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on all of our posts.

This is the part three of our series looking at how each team stacks up headed into next week’s draft. In case you missed it, you can find part one covering the AFC East here and part two covering the AFC North here.

As always, feel free to let us know what you think via the comment section.

Houston Texans (9-7)

The Texans came close to their first playoff trip in franchise history last year, but things didn’t quite play out the way they wanted late in the season. That disappointment has fueled the fires of anticipation in Houston this off-season, and anything short of a solid playoff run will be looked at as a failure, given the level of talent amassed across the board right now. There are still some areas of concern headed into next week’s draft though, and as such, the Texans will need to use their picks judiciously to maximize production from those players next fall.

Players added: LB Darnell Bing, OG Wade Smith, K Neil Rackers
Players lost: CB Dunta Robinson, QB Rex Grossman

Major Needs:

Cornerback – Their best player at this position, Dunta Robinson, bolted for Atlanta and the pile of dough they threw his way this off-season, so an upgrade at the spot is definitely high on the priority list headed into the draft. Lucky for the Texans, they should have a solid slate of players to choose from in the first round if they want, or even in the second round, where value can be had.
Running Back – Houston likes what Steve Slaton can do with the ball, but outside of him, they really don’t have anyone that can carry the load effectively on a consistent basis. Slaton isn’t the biggest back on the block either, which means the Texans would be wise to draft a more complete player if possible.
Safety – Things are okay on the strong side with Bernard Pollard playing well last season, but across from him at the free safety spot, the same cannot be said. To stay competitive against the pass-happy Colts, the Texans will need to address this need at some point in the middle of their draft next week.

2010 Draft Picks:

1st (20)
2nd 51)
3rd (81)
4th (118)
5th (150)
6th (187, 197)
7th (227)

Indianapolis Colts (14-2)

The Colts were a Peyton Manning interception away from potentially winning their second Super Bowl championship in four years, but unfortunately, they couldn’t quite find a way to shut down the Saints, and went home without the Lombardi Trophy. All of that is now history though in the minds of the players, coaches, and front office personnel, and while they definitely have a few needs to fill, expect Indianapolis to reload with a vengeance next week, and get ready for yet another run to the Super Bowl.

Players added: OG Andy Alleman, OT Adam Terry
Players lost: OG Ryan Lilja, QB Jim Sorgi, CB Marlin Jackson, CB Tim Jennings, WR Hank Baskett, S Aaron Francisco

Major Needs:

Cornerback – With two solid role players gone from their secondary in Tim Jennings and Marlin Jackson, the Colts are going to need to use a high round pick to address this position. They can probably wait until round two or three to do so, but the longer they wait, the less likely a solid player will be around for them to take.
Return specialist – Usually teams avoid spending their top picks on players that contribute mainly on special teams, but after seeing their club have an atrocious amount of production on kick returns, you better believe that Indy is on the lookout for a solid player capable of making a real difference in this arena.
Defensive tackle – The Colts have okay depth at this position, but no one really stands out as being capable of dominating the interior portion of the defensive line. If Indianapolis’ brass chooses to go this route, there should be several quality playmakers available when they pick late in round one.

2010 Draft Picks:

1st (31)
2nd (63)
3rd (94)
4th (129)
5th (162)
7th (238, 240, 246)

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9)

2010 was a disappointing campaign for the Jaguars, to say the least. After getting off to a good start, Jacksonville struggled to win games down the stretch and fell several games short in the playoff race. They have a fair amount of needs to fill next week, but the biggest issue overall is their inability to sell tickets on a consistent basis, and as such, taking a player that will put fans in the seats may be the team’s highest priority.

Players added: DE Aaron Kampman, WR Kassim Osgood
Players lost: WR Torry Holt, DT Rob Meier

Major Needs:

Defensive End – Even with the signing of Kampman, the Jaguars are going to need to find a talented pass rusher early on in this draft class, as they were woefully inadequate in that department last season. Look for them to address this spot in round one or two.
Linebacker – The Jags talent in their linebacker corps is on the strong side, making the weak side LB spot a definite need to be looked at next week. It won’t happen right away, but there’s enough talent to be had later in the draft that Jacksonville should be able to find a decent player.
Center – Finding an eventual replacement for Brad Meester is something that the Jaguars will need to do sooner or later, as his age is beginning to show with his inability to open up running lanes on a consistent basis.

2010 Draft Picks:

1st (10)
3rd (74)
4th (108)
5th (143)
6th (180, 203)

Tennessee Titans (8-8)

2010 was the tale of two seasons for the Titans, with an 0-6 start to their season, followed by an 8-2 finish to end up with a .500 record. Much of the credit for that turnaround has to go to quarterback Vince Young, who seemingly resurrected his career, and definitely provided the spark needed to drive Tennessee to finish strong last year. Young comes into this season as the starter once again, and if he can remain true to his form from last season, the Titans should be in good shape this fall.

Players added: QB Chris Simms, CB Tye Hill, DE Jason Babin, LB Will Witherspoon
Players lost: DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, TE Alge Crumpler, P Craig Hentrich

Major Needs:

Defensive End – Vanden Bosch was easily the Titans best pass rusher last season, and with him gone to Detroit earlier in the off-season, Tennessee is going to have to find a quality player early on, or face the prospect of having former first round bust Jason Babin and longstanding veteran Jevon Kearse be their top players at the position.
Cornerback – The Titans really don’t have much in terms of depth at this spot, and after watching their starters struggle to defend opposing receivers consistently last season, they’ll need to address the problem at some point or another in this draft.
Linebacker – All three positions here have solid players, but the Titans could definitely use quality depth for the future, and there’s no time like now to take care of it, as they should be able to find a quality player in the later stages of the draft.

2010 Draft Picks: