The AFC South is an interesting division, and while two of the teams figure to be eliminated from playoff contention before the season even begins, it's the other two teams in this division that could make the fight very enjoyable to watch. Tennessee and Indianapolis have both been very good regular season teams over the past few years, but whether it's choking the week before the playoffs or in your first postseason game as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, neither team has been able to get it done in recent times.
Both teams have solid pieces on both sides of the ball, and if healthy, it could be one of the most interesting battles in the AFC, especially when you narrow it down to individual clashes like Jonathan Taylor vs. Derrick Henry, and there's little doubt we may see multiple Pro Bowl players from each team. The division overall may be weak, but don't discount the talent in the division, as it will be well represented at the end of the 2022 season.
Indianapolis Colts - Quenton Nelson
The Pro Bowl game itself may be about the splashy guys making highlight reel catches, breaking off insane runs or explosive moves to get to the QB, but sometimes, it's the big men that do the dirty work that deserve just as much reward. Speaking of big men who deserve reward, Colts Guard Quenton Nelson is as good as anyone in the entire league, as he's made the Pro Bowl in all of his first four NFL seasons, as well as a Second Team All-Pro selection, and 3 straight First Team All-Pro nods.
Nelson has missed just three games over that 4-year stretch, including playing 16 games in his first three seasons, and if he can stay healthy and give Matt Ryan some time in 2022, we could be looking at a really good Indianapolis Colts team. Ultimately, they may end up with a few names in the Pro Bowl, as Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman are both fantastic players, but given how elite Nelson has been in his first 4 seasons, it's easy to argue that he's the best guard in the NFL right now, making him a shoe in for the annual accolade.
Houston Texans - Laremy Tunsil
The Houston Texans are in for a rough year, and while they've got some promising young players like Derek Stingley and Davis Mills, it's not going to be enough to help them from avoiding yet another bottom 5 finish league wide in 2022. They do have one big piece however in Laremy Tunsil, who, while not the best of the best anymore, is regarded as a really good tackle league wide, who could bounce back this season and make the third Pro Bowl of his career.
The pre-draft drama could have ruined Tunsil, but he's done a good job bouncing back, and after being traded to the Texans to help them with a big playoff push, he's been better than solid on a team that is now clearly rebuilding for the future. Beyond Tunsil, Brandin Cooks is either going to be great trade bait or have another 1,000 yard receiving year, but other than that, Texans fans need to brace themselves for a bad, bad season ahead.
Tennessee Titans - Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry has always be a physical force of nature, dating back to his high school days, all the way through Alabama and now to the NFL, but in recent years, it's become exceedingly apparent that he may be one of the most dominant running backs in the history of the league. The past three seasons have seen No. 22 put up over 4,500 yards on the ground to go with an incredible 43 Touchdown's, and even when opposing defence's know what's about to happen, there seems to be no stopping the runaway freight train with an amazing stiff-arm.
There's not really too much more to be said about Henry, who's been beyond elite since 2019, and if he can even be 70% of himself yet again in 2022, this Titans team have a great shot at taking a playoff run, while the awards continue to roll in for Henry. This is about as safe a bet as there is around the NFL, and even if the Titans traded away AJ Brown in the off-season, it's not going to help opposing teams stop the force of nature too much anyway.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Brandon Scherff
Behind Trevor Lawrence and a much better coaching staff, led by Doug Pederson, the Jacksonville Jaguars figure to be much improved in 2022, as they made plenty of additions to this team, but unfortunately, they lack the elite level talent that it takes to make it in the playoffs in the NFL these days. Fortunately, they did get one huge building block in the form of guard, Brandon Scherff, who, in his seven seasons with the Washington Commanders made five Pro Bowl appearances.
It's a whole new system for him to learn, but given the skills and toughness he clearly has, he will bring a lot more to this Jaguars team than just play on the field, as he'll be a new leader in the locker room for this young, up and coming squad. This may be one of the only teams in the NFL that don't have a clear cut Pro Bowl candidate, but if Scherff can be good and the Jags can improve from last season, he will no doubt be under consideration yet again.
Photo Credit: George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Photo Credit: Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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