One question the Texans, Colts and every AFC South team still has to answer after the NFL Draft

In 2025, the AFC South did something it hadn't done since the 2020 season: landed multiple teams in the playoffs. The division as a whole has been among the league's weakest this decade, especially after Mike Vrabel's departure accelerated the demise of the Tennessee Titans as contenders.

But 2026 could be different. Three AFC South teams have playoff hopes and the fourth enters Year 2 with the 2025 No. 1 overall pick under center. Things are looking up. With that said, though, each team still has major question marks entering the 2026 season.

Houston Texans: Can C.J. Stroud get it done?

There are no more excuses for C.J. Stroud after the Houston Texans invested heavily on the offensive line this offseason. The team enters 2026 with new starters expected at three positions: left guard Wyatt Teller, right tackle Braden Smith and rookie center Keylan Rutledge. The protection around Stroud should be better, and the addition of running back David Montgomery and the return of injured wide receiver Tank Dell make this a dynamic offense.

Well ... it could make it a dynamic offense, as long as Stroud is up for the task. After setting the league on fire as a rookie, Stroud just...hasn't gotten better. It's not that he's worse now — playoff performance aside — but he's simply not improving.

The yardage is down, but you can chalk a lot of that up to playcalling, as Stroud isn't throwing as often. He also saw his sack rate explode in 2024 before coming down by a good bit last season.

The larger issue is his playoff performance in 2025, which was bad. Like, BAD bad. In two starts, he completed 51.9 percent of his passes with two touchdowns, five interceptions and five fumbles. It was a nightmare performance, and it sparked plenty of concern about his future in Houston.

Has he fixed these problems? We'll find out in 2026, but Houston's hopes of winning the AFC South and making a playoff run depend on it, as does Stroud's future with the franchise.

Indianapolis Colts: Is Daniel Jones going to bounce back from the injury?

Daniel Jones was the story of the NFL last season. The former Giants cast-off won a preseason quarterback battle with Anthony Richardson that, at the time, felt like a battle to see which earned the honor of being replaced by a rookie in 2026. Instead, Jones went 8-5 as the Indianapolis Colts starter and had the team in playoff position.

But notice that those numbers don't add up to 17. That's because Jones torn his Achilles, and the Colts cratered from there. The team re-signed him this offseason, but that Achilles injury casts a long shadow over everything.

Were his 13 games last season a sign that he could be a borderline top-10 quarterback going forward, or was it just a good run? And if it is the former, does the Achilles injury threaten that?

And because of the injury, the Colts ended up signing Jones to a two-year deal rather than something longer. If he doesn't return to form, that works out for the club, but if he needs an extension in two years because he does prove he's the answer, the team now has to contend with that.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Is Travis Hunter really just a defensive back now?

After trading up for Travis Hunter in 2025 to add a two-way college star to the roster, a torn LCL ended his season early and introduced doubt into this experiment of playing him both ways in the NFL. If he couldn't stay healthy through one season playing on both sides, how would the team expect him to do that long-term?

It sounds like the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to use Hunter at cornerback now, with just a few plays mixed in at wide receiver rather than trying to play him mostly full-time on both sides. It gives the Jaguars a potential elite No. 1 corner, but it also makes the decision to trade up for him look much worse in retrospect.

If the answer to the question posited in the header is "yes," and the Jaguars really do intend to just occasionally mix Hunter in on offense, then what does that mean for the offense? There were Brian Thomas Jr. trade rumors for a while — though they seem to have slowed down — and the team didn't draft receivers until taking two in the sixth round, so is Jacksonville good with Parker Washington as the No. 3? Is Jakobi Meyers good enough to be the true No. 1 option on a contender?

Tennessee Titans: Did the Titans do enough to support Cam Ward?

The Tennessee Titans drafted Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, but they didn't do a good job surrounding him with the weapons he needed to have a strong rookie season. Elic Ayomanor led the team in targets, while Chig Okonkwo led in receptions and yards.

The Titans were fairly aggressive in going after potential playmakers for Ward this offseason, though. The team quickly moved to sign Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and then used its first-round pick on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. Assuming Calvin Ridley is healthy and still in the team's plans, Ward has a much better supporting cast this season.

But is it enough for the Titans to actually make some noise? That remains to be seen. The Titans ranked 31st in the NFL in total yards last year and 30th in total passing yards, with consistency being an issue for Ward. He had his moments, but a lack of reliable weapons and an offensive line that couldn't keep him upright really doomed Tennessee.

The situation is better in 2026, but is it better enough for the Titans to be threats in the AFC South? Tight end specifically feels like an issue, as Okonkwo left this offseason and the team will now be running out Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger at the position. There's definitely still some work to be done going forward.

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