How do Colts and AFC South compare to the rest of the league after the 2023 NFL Draft

After adding some impressive rookies in the 2023 Draft, where do the Indianapolis Colts and the AFC South rank amongst the NFL’s eight divisions?

Entering the offseason, the AFC South was considered the worst division in the NFL. It was justified. The Houston Texans had the second-worst record last season, and the Indianapolis Colts had the fourth-worst. The two best teams in the division were the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. They were only 9-8 and 7-10 respectively.

However, the offseason is when bad teams can change their outlook. From free agency and trades to the draft, there are several opportunities to improve. In the draft, the AFC South was set up really nice with Houston having the second-overall pick, the Colts having the fourth-overall pick, and the Titans having the 11th-pick.

Overall, the AFC South had a great draft weekend. Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee all added three of the top four quarterbacks, and each team put together good classes— especially the Texans and Colts. So, where does the AFC South rank now that these impressive draft classes were added to the mix.

Unfortunately, the division is still last. Maurice Moton, in a recent piece for Bleacher Report, did a post-draft ranking of the divisions, and ranked the AFC South last at No. 8.

AFC South still ranked the worst division in the NFL

Moton believes that “With the exception of the Jaguars, the AFC South will likely go through a lot of growing pains in 2023 because of inexperience at quarterback and changes within team coaching ranks.” So while all these new faces may be great for the long-term future, things could be rough in the immediate future.

Honestly, that’s a fair point by Moton. The expectations for the division will be extremely low next season, and the year will likely be about evaluating all of the young talent. Of course, the NFL is unpredictable, so it’s possible that one of these rookie quarterbacks and first-year head coaches could hit the ground running and be a threat as soon as next season.

If that’s the case, the AFC South has to prove it. No one is going to give this struggling division any credit until the teams go out and prove themselves.

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