Best, worst draft picks in the AFC South

Now that the NFL Draft is completed, it's time for us to weigh in on bests and worsts. (By the way, the 2024 draft is April 25–27 in Detroit.)

BEST | Colts, Josh Downs, WR (Third round): Downs was one of the top slot receivers in the draft, and getting him at pick No. 79 was a borderline steal considering most draft analysts had him ranked in the top 50. Downs, who fills the void left by Parris Campbell, is the kind of explosive player who will make life easier for quarterback Anthony Richardson as he learns a new offense.

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Pairing Downs with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce gives the Colts a solid trio of pass catchers to build around Richardson, and taking him just two picks ahead of division-rival Tennessee, who desperately needed a receiver, was just icing on the cake.

WORST | Texans, Juice Scruggs, C (Second round): The Texans traded up at the end of the second round for Scruggs, a center they likely could have had in the third or fourth round if they wanted. Scruggs was ranked much lower than others who were still available, including Luke Wypler, Ricky Stromberg, Olu Oluwatimi and Alex Forsyth.

Scruggs is not the strongest blocker, and he struggled to stop mobile defensive linemen at Penn State. Many scouts question if he can be an NFL starter — something a team should be pretty sure of before spending a second rounder on him.

BEST | Titans, Will Levis, QB (Second round): After watching half the teams in their division draft their quarterbacks of the future (Houston, Indianapolis), the Titans landed theirs in the second round. With Ryan Tannehill’s contract expiring after the 2023 season, Levis is in the perfect situation to sit a year and soak up everything he can before transitioning to a starter in 2024.

Levis is already familiar with a pro-style offense, and he will have better talent around him in Tennessee (Derrick Henry, Treylon Burks, Kyle Philips, Chig Okonkwo) than he did during his last year at Kentucky. He also brings something that Tannehill does not — a strong enough arm to drive deep throws downfield.

WORST | Jaguars, Brenton Strange, TE (Second round): While Strange is a fine player, if the Jaguars wanted a complement to Evan Engram there were better options still on the board, including Darnell Washington, Cameron Latu and Will Mallory. 

Latu would have fit the Jags’ desire for a strong blocking tight end to complement Engram, who’s more of a receiving threat. It could also be argued Jacksonville had more pressing needs to address in the second round,like cornerback, guard and defensive tackle.

BEST | Texans, Henry To’oTo’o, LB (fifth round): To’oTo’o started immediately at Alabama as a transfer from Tennessee in the middle Nick Saban’s defense, showing he earned the trust of one of the top coaches in college football rather quickly. To’oTo’o has good downhill speed, and his play recognition is sharp. 

He’s physical at the point of attack, and he was one of the stronger tacklers in the draft. He has the lateral speed to be an effective sideline-to-sideline player, and he has a high football IQ that should allow him to pick up Houston’s defensive concepts quickly.

WORST | Titans, Josh Whyle, TE (fifth round): Tennessee’s biggest need after grabbing tackle Peter Skoronski in the first round was wide receiver, and it didn’t address the position until its final pick in Round 7. In taking Whyle, the Titans passed on several receivers who would have had a legitimate shot at making the 53-man roster, including A.T. Perry, Xavier Hutchinson, Parker Washington, Trey Palmer and Kayshon Boutte.

The Titans already have plenty depth tight ends behind Okonkwo who can serve primarily as blockers, including Trevon Wesco, Kevin Rader, Thomas Odukoya and Justin Rigg. Adding another one while ignoring a clear position of need just doesn’t make much sense.