AFC South stock up, down: Titans pass-rush boost, Texans OL troubles

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback: Lawrence was already picked by many to have a breakout year in 2023, but after the team kept seven receivers, three tight ends and four running backs on its 53-man roster, it’s safe to say the Jags are going all-in on Lawrence’s ascension to the elite tier of QBs by surrounding him with plenty of weapons.

Calvin Ridley gives Lawrence a legitimate No. 1 wideout with game-breaking potential — something he hasn’t had in his first two seasons. Behind Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, the team has plenty of depth with Jamal Agnew, Elijah Cooks, Tim Jones and Parker Washington, plus Travis Etienne and JaMycal Hasty are both receiving threats out of the backfield.

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts, wide receiver: The Colts released their first unofficial depth chart on Wednesday and Downs was listed as the team’s starting slot receiver. The rookie third-round pick beat out Isaiah McKenzie, who had 42 receptions, 423 yards and four touchdowns for the Buffalo Bills last season.

Downs was North Carolina’s top receiver over the last two seasons, logging 195 catches, 2,364 yards and 19 touchdowns and he’s more than capable of moving into the Colts No. 2 WR spot behind Michael Pittman Jr. if need be. 

Stock down

JaMycal Hasty, Jacksonville Jaguars, running back: With James Robinson no longer on the roster, Hasty, who had the second-most carries and yards last year of any returning RB on the roster, entered training camp with an outside possibility of competing for the No. 2 job behind Etienne.

When the Jags set their 53-man roster, Hasty had plummeted down the depth chart behind rookie Tank Bigsby and 27-year-old D’Ernest Johnson. With Etienne as the lead back, Bigsby (6-foot, 213 pounds) will likely be the short-yardage and goal-line runner, leaving Hasty and Johnson to battle for the No. 3 spot.

Indianapolis Colts front office: The longer the Colts go without bringing in a starting-caliber running back, the worse the team’s front office looks for squandering the whole Jonathan Taylor situation. Indy will be without the 24-year-old star for the first four games of the season, but it’s not known if he will even entertain playing for the team this year after requesting to be traded and with a lucrative new contract on the line for him next year.

The Colts are looking at the combination of Zack Moss and Deon Jackson splitting the bulk of their carries. Neither back has started more than three games or had more than 112 carries in any season. 

With rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson starting Week 1, the Colts are doing him a great disservice by not giving him a reliable running back to help take some of the pressure off.

Tytus Howard, Houston Texans, offensive tackle: Houston placed Howard on injured reserve on Wednesday, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the season. His estimated timetable for recovery from hand surgery at the beginning of August was four to six weeks, but now he’s looking at missing close to two months.

Howard signed a three-year, $56M contract extension in July and losing him is a big blow for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Howard ranked seventh among offensive tackles last season in pass-block win rate (93.1%), allowing just three sacks on 640 pass-blocking snaps. 

Now, Houston will likely rely on either George Fant or fourth-year tackle Charlie Heck. Fant has 60 starts and if he plays well enough, he could keep Howard on the bench even when he's healthy.