2024 NFL draft grades for AFC South teams: Who added a franchise cornerstone?
When it comes to the AFC, everything runs through Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes isn’t even 30 yet, but he has more Lombardi’s than most old heads still looking to stay in the game.
Matthew Stafford was drafted in 2009. He’s won one Super Bowl. When Aaron Rodgers was selected by the Packers in 2005, Mahomes hadn’t even turned 10 and still was known for his pitching prowess over ziplining passes to Travis Kelce.
In the AFC South, no one truly “runs” anything. Since 2010, all four teams have won multiple division titles and escaped past the wild-card round. Indianapolis hasn’t clinched the title in nearly a decade, but it still has been to the postseason twice as a wild-card roster.
The same goes for Houston, which recently retook the lead behind a stellar rookie season from C.J. Stroud. Tennessee dominated for three seasons under Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and defensive guru Mike Vrabel. Mixed in between is Jacksonville, which consistently teeters between laughing stock to Super Bowl contender every 12 months.
Teams win in free agency. They build in the draft. The Texans, Jaguars, and Titans aggressively secured Pro Bowl-caliber talents on the open market back in March. Meanwhile, the Colts turned to the draft to lay a foundation surrounding Anthony Richardson and a revamped defense.
All four teams stand a chance to secure the AFC South crown in 2024. Last season, it came down to three plays and a fourth-down stop to punch Houston’s ticket to the postseason and send Jacksonville packing out of the wild-card phase.
But which AFC South team won the draft? Our NFL Wire editors shared their initial grades for their respective draft classes. Let’s review, shall we?
