Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Each AFC South team has at least one rookie poised to challenge for a starting job in the 2026 season.
- The division's recent draft strategies reveal clear opportunities for young players to step into key roles despite limited marquee names.
- One team's depth chart could feature multiple rookies earning starting positions, signaling a potential youth movement across the division.
The AFC South doesn't have a lot of marquee rookie names this season. That'll happen when two of the teams are missing first round picks and another makes it to the Divisional Round. But despite that, there are rookies on every team who should have a chance to earn a starting role in 2026.
In fact, one team might have multiple of them! The Titans were the worst team in the AFC South last season and thus had a bit more draft capital than the rest of the division. One name for that team is obvious, but the other is a little less so.
C Keylan Rutledge, Houston Texans
I was really not digging the Keylan Rutledge pick when it happened, but that was because I wasn't thinking about it right. I'd thought of Rutledge as a guard in the lead-up to the draft, but the Houston Texans made it clear pretty fast that they view him as the answer at center.
And in that case, I'm on board, because center was a major need last season for the Texans. The team picked Jake Andrews up after the Patriots released him and he wound up winning the starting job, but he ranked just 27th of 37 qualifying centers in PFF grade and was a big part of Houston's struggles with its interior protection.
Would Houston ideally like to move Rutledge back to guard down the line? Sure, but for now, he's the best option that the team has at center. Andrews can move into a backup role, which is what he's best equipped for, and Rutledge — along with veteran free agent signing Wyatt Teller — can give Houston a boost on the interior of the offensive line, which will hopefully give quarterback C.J. Stroud a chance to shine.
LB CJ Allen, Indianapolis Colts
Adding linebacker help was a point of emphasis in the draft for the Indianapolis Colts, as the team brought in Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency and drafted CJ Allen in the second round and Bryce Boettcher in the fourth round. The two rookies will likely be in a battle for one of the starting linebacker spots.
Allen is the obvious favorite to beat out Boettcher. Draft capital is a big part of that — of course the second-round pick has a better chance to start than the fourth-round pick — but also, Allen's just a better football player at the moment.
The rookie out of Georgia excels as a coverage linebacker and tackles well, which will come in handy when defending in the run game. He's not necessarily going to create pressure as a pass rusher, but the Colts don't need him to do that. They just need a fast, athletic player to patrol the middle of the field. Allen is that guy.
(I also wouldn't be shocked at all if third-round pick A.J. Haulcy wins one of the starting safety spots, as his competition is probably just 2025 seventh-round pick Hunter Wohler.)
TE Nate Boerkircher, Jacksonville Jaguars
I went into the 2025 season with the belief that Brenton Strange was going to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' breakout star. I was wrong, and now a year later, Jacksonville has spent second and fifth-round picks on the position.
I'm not, like, the biggest Boerkircher fan, as the Texas A&M product is more of a blocking tight end than he is a receiver, but the league seems to be trending a bit in the direction of playing blocking tight ends more. At least, the order that tight ends were drafted this year suggests that, as the Jaguars weren't even the only team in the AFC South to draft a blocking tight end higher than expected.
If the rookie can show he's ready to go out and block in the run game while showcasing that he's capable of making easy catches, then he'll see the field early.
LB Anthony Hill Jr., Tennessee Titans
Okay, so Carnell Tate is obviously going to be a starting wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, but I'd rather write about someone who isn't locked in as a starter. There's no real argument against Tate starting. So instead, let's turn to linebacker Anthony Hill.
The second-round pick out of Texas is one of those uber-productive middle linebacker types that harkens back to a decade or so ago, the kind of player who can deliver hard hits and rack up tackles in the run game.
Are there concerns about his coverage skills? Sure, and the Titans also have a steady option at linebacker already in Cody Barton, though the veteran has been mentioned some in trade buzz. Hill isn't guaranteed to wind up as the starting MLB in Tennessee, but I think when all's said and done, he'll be the guy manning the position for a majority of the time once Week 1 arrives.
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