In the AFC South Big Questions remain for each team, at the top of the list, can Davis Mills and Trevor Lawrence take steps forward in year two.

Titans

Biggest Question: What will the offense look like without A.J. Brown, and what will Derrick Henry look like? The move of the off-season for the Titans was moving on from star wideout A.J. Brown, they hope to replace him with solid NFL contributor and oft-praised indie star Robert Woods, and rookie Treylon Burks. Burks hasn’t started working with the first team yet though and his inexperience showed in the preseason opener. Burks only registered one target in that game, it is just the preseason but the overwhelming evidence points to the fact Burks will likely not be a day one contributor. That’s an issue for a Titans core that looks increasingly thin. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a good third option but the Titans lack the offensive passing power they have had in the past.

Which brings us to Derrick Henry, how successful can the veteran back be? Last year was a bit of an incomplete data point as Henry was lost to an injury at the end of the season and was not fully healthy for the playoffs. Will he have fully recovered and regained his dominant form come week 1? If the answer is yes, my offensive concerns about the Titans almost immediately disappear.

Texans

Biggest Question: Can Davis Mills make this team fun? The pieces exist around Davis. Dameon Pierce has looked extremely fun in the preseason, and preseason if it is good for anything, is good for determining running back value. Pierce looks like an above-average back that could help this offense tremendously. Brandin Cooks remains a great number one option at wide receiver and Nico Collins is a nice breakout candidate, with that in mind can Davis Mills take a step forward? The end of the 2021 season was extremely positive for Mills especially in his game against the Chargers, the question remains though, with a limited line and these weapons can he progress? If you forced me to answer that question I would probably say this, I think there is a pretty good chance Davis Mills ends up being between the 16th and 21st best QB in the NFL by the end of the year, and that is progress. Will it keep the Texans out of the top five in draft order and a shot at next year’s highly touted QB class, probably not, Mills will get his shot though.

Colts

Biggest Question: Do the Colts have the receiving talent to be a true contender? I did not use to feel this way, but with about three weeks left until the regular season, I am convinced the Colts will be good this year. Will they be good enough to be a contender in a loaded AFC though, that remains a question that will be answered by Alec Pierce. The Cincy rookie has gotten rave reviews out of camp and had a decent showing in week one of the preseason. The Colts success will depend on how the depth of the receiving core shakes out.

Jaguars

Biggest Question: How big a leap should we expect out of Trevor Lawrence now that he has a legitimate NFL system and standard NFL weaponry? There will be a leap, that is inevitable, Lawrence showed enough in year one to believe it. Adding Christian Kirk and Zay Jones with Marvin Jones Jr. gives the Jags an average NFL receiving core. For what Lawrence was hyped to be, he should be able to elevate that group to being more than just league average. Which leaves the next question, is the rest of the Jags roster including the defense good enough to win more than five games if Lawrence excels? That is yet to be seen but the goal should be six to seven wins.