Draft Nation’s Focus: AFC South

Next up in Draft Nation’s coverage of the upcoming NFL Draft is an analysis of potential targets for the AFC South. The Titans, Jaguars, Colts, and Texans will face looming pressure from fans and ownership to improve their teams. 

Ian Stuart Martin will be covering which prospects fit best with each team’s needs.

Titans:

The Titans and Head Coach Brian Callahan have only one logical option at first overall. That option is…

• Cam Ward (QB, Miami) - Cam Ward is the consensus number-one overall pick. Ward would have been QB3 to QB6 in 2024. That isn’t a knock against Ward, as he has amazing anticipation when throwing, a good to plus arm that can throw bombs down the field, and moves through his reads quickly when in structure. Ward would be a clear upgrade at quarterback for the Titans and his ceiling is as a future borderline Pro Bowler. 

• Brian Callahan has a track record of developing a first-overall pick having been the offensive coordinator to Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow until 2023 when he took the Titan’s job. The Titans have also invested their last two first-round picks on offensive linemen to protect a young quarterback like Ward.

However, on the opposite side of the coin, there are many potential issues for Ward and the Titans. Ward’s arm being as good as it is has let him get away with poor footwork. He is excellent when working in a system but when plays break down he struggles to find the best throw. These issues can be fixed with good coaching, but they can be emphasized if the Titan’s offensive line doesn’t turn around quickly. Even with two first-round offensive linemen the Titans finished twenty-third in pressures allowed and thirtieth in sack rate. Ward could have his career derailed similarly to David Carr.

Jaguars:

The Jaguars and Liam “Duval” Coen need to support their quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. The top two players in the draft, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter will both be gone but two targets are available at pick number five.

• Jahdae Barron (DB, Texas) - Barron is seen as limited because of his size, and his natural position of nickel corner is already filled by free agent signing Jourdan Lewis. Although Lewis is the highest-paid nickel corner in the league, Barron would be an amazing piece to utilize by new Jaguar’s defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Campanile has coached and learned schemes like cover two under Vic Fangio, heavy blitzing under Brian Flores, and disguise plays under Jeff Hafley. Campanile has signaled he plans on playing a shifting scheme that focuses on hitting hard and fast. Having a corner who can play along the perimeter and fill multiple roles would give the Jaguars another dimension to their defense.

• Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona) - McMillan would be an excellent pickup to pair with Brian Thomas Jr. McMillan and can play X or Z in an offense. Many NFL scouts believe he has more potential playing as a Z-receiver at the next level. The knock on McMillian is that he is too lean to play as a true X-receiver, but he does have excellent route running for his size. Giving Trevor Lawrence two young excellent wide receivers could return him to his 2022 Pro Bowl form.

Colts:

Shane Steichen and the Colts have a tough decision at pick fourteen. There are several good prospects who will fall to them but the Colts must focus on need over value.

• Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan) - The Colts have a good mix of receivers on their roster. Alec Pierce is a true deep threat, Michael Pittman Jr is a true WR1, and Josh Downs is a good slot receiver. To make the most of these talents the Colts need a tight end that can be a difference maker in today’s game. 

• Loveland is one of two TE’s in this draft that could fill that role, the other being Penn State’s Tyler Warren (discussed previously in our coverage of the AFC West). Loveland has perhaps the best natural receiving ability at the position in this draft class. He can run most routes asked of him, even if sometimes a bit sloppily, but has excellent hands to compensate. Loveland provides the undervalued reliable short-yardage safety net teams need.

• Josh Simmons (T, Ohio State) - Josh Simmons would be a top-five pick if his patellar tendon didn’t snap in October of 2024. Simmons is by far the most talented tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft and the Colts need to get in front of a fast-approaching problem. Both Braden Smith at right tackle and Bernhard Raimann at left tackle are in the last year of their deals. 

Drafting a tackle doesn’t address a position of need just yet but does give the Colts two benefits. First, it lets Simmons sit for a year and work on recovering fully and developing technique behind two solid NFL tackles. Secondly, Simmons' development could mean the Colts only have to re-sign one of their two tackles. Saving money in the future will give them flexibility to address future problems.

Texans:

Offensive Line. The Texans and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans need to protect CJ Stroud. Stroud was the second-most-sacked quarterback in the league last year. Drafting linemen is essential for Stroud to improve further. Whether the Texans trade up or remain at pick twenty-five will depend on how the draft develops.

• Armand Membou (T, Missouri) - Assuming Will Campbell is the first tackle taken, the Texans should highly consider trading up in the draft to select Armand Membou. Membou is one of the most polished and NFL-ready tackles in the 2025 NFL draft. He ran a 4.91 in the forty-yard dash at three hundred thirty pounds. Every metric screams elite athleticism. 

The one downside is that Membou is slightly undersized. He will need to use his athleticism to deal with long edge rushers. Nick Caley, the new offensive coordinator for the Texans, has stated he plans on basing his scheme around the players. Giving Caley a player like Membou will lock down the right tackle position and provide the flexibility to run zone-blocking or gap-blocking schemes.

• Grey Zabel (T, North Dakota State) - Zabel could provide flexibility for the Texans. He can play all positions along the offensive line, but guard will be Zabel’s strongest position. His arm length makes the tackle position more challenging against longer pass rushers and he doesn’t have much experience calling out protections as a center yet. 

However, the Texans have either young developing players or journeymen replacement-level players as starters. Zabel will be able to fill in at whichever position is weakest for the Texans and play well. Zabel enters the draft at twenty-three so is already fairly well developed, making him able to slot in immediately at the NFL level.

• Josh Connerly Jr. (T, Oregon) - Josh Connerly is the most likely of the three prospects listed to still be available at pick twenty-five but Connerly is the least developed of the three. He has the length and size to play tackle at the NFL and plays with excellent footwork which will be of value if Caley runs a zone-blocking scheme. 

The reason Connerly is not a higher-valued prospect is that he’s only three hundred fifteen pounds and will need time to add muscle and learn to play with more weight in the NFL.