AFC South power rankings: Who’s defense is tops?

Anthony Weaver, who spent the last several seasons coaching J.J. Watt and their tremendous defensive line, has been promoted to defensive coordinator now that Romeo Crennel has transitioned to assistant head coach. There is a lot to like on Houston’s depth chart, even though they ranked at the bottom of the AFC South in several major defensive categories last year.

Watt is still one of the best defensive players in the league, and Whitney Mercilus is still a handful on the other side of him. Second-round pick Ross Blacklock figures to hit the ground running in the pros given his speed and strength at defensive tackle.

Zach Cunningham and Bernardrick McKinney lead a solid group of linebackers, while Bradley Roby returning is a nice plus for the secondary. Having said all of that, Weaver has a few major obstacles he will need to overcome.

Bill O’Brien’s reckless trading led to Houston being unable to fill gaps on their defensive depth chart through the draft. Considering players like D.J. Reader and Tashaun Gipson bolted in free agency, that could come back to bite them in 2020.

Roby and Gareon Conley are solid, but two solid players don’t mask the fact that Houston’s secondary is still abysmal, as only three teams in the entire league allowed more yards through the air.

As uncomfortable as it may be, Houston may also have to realize that Watt’s durability is a major problem, and they need to potentially find a way to alleviate the headache he causes via the draft or free agency.

Houston’s defense could be amazing in 2020, but there are too many variables and question marks to rank them any higher than third on this list. Houston will need to win a lot of shootouts thanks to a defense that will likely be in the bottom half of the league again.