After finishing 4-13 in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars won 13 games and seized the AFC South title. Following their impressive turnaround, they're no longer flying under the radar, and opposing teams will try to show they're a one-year wonder.
Understandably, the Jags have to prove all over again that they're the club to beat in the division, and that could turn out to be a challenge with the Houston Texans lurking behind.
That said, Jacksonville is the defending AFC South champion until proven otherwise. This is why it was a bit baffling to see how a recent division ranking played out.
The Jaguars aren't the top team in an AFC South power rankings
Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone ranked all teams in the AFC South just before Organized Team Activities. Shockingly, he put the Jaguars at No. 2, citing the loss of running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd as the biggest reason.
"The departures of free agents Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd loom large for this team," Sedinger wrote. "Etienne accounted for 1,399 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns last season, while Lloyd racked up 81 tackles, 5 interceptions, 10 QB hits, 7 passes defensed, and only 1 TD allowed on 47 targets into his coverage."
Sedinger goes on to question James Gladstone's decision not to retain Lloyd and Etienne, pointing out that both of them played a role in the team's success last year.
"Even though those players were not James Gladstone's 1st-round picks, it feels like the Jaguars' GM was shortsighted in not retaining two players who were integral to the team's success last season. And the reviews of his 2026 NFL Draft class are scathing," Sedinger wrote.
In Sedinger's defense, he's far from the only analyst who's blasted Gladstone's offseason moves. And that's the thing, the second-year general manager hasn't been afraid to make a move if he thinks it will address the larger scale roster. However, he's yet to have a proven track record, so he'll be under scrutiny until he does.
Still, Gladstone did enough during the offseason to make you think that Jacksonville can offset the losses of Lloyd and Etienne. The team's brass is high on sophomore Bhayshul Tuten, with head coach Liam Coen saying that the coaching staff has yet to unlock his full skill set.
With Chris Rodriguez in the mix, the Jaguars are confident that he and Tuten can fill the void left by Lloyd's departure. On the other hand, Coen says that Miller should feel great about the team not bringing in any competition, and Jacksonville's dearth of meaningful moves at linebacker appears to be a vote of confidence in the 2023 fourth-round pick.
Circling back to the AFC South ranking, the Houston Texans got the top spot, with Sedinger pointing out that they were one of the hottest teams in 2025 and boast the top defense in the whole NFL.
The Jaguars are the team to beat in the AFC South
Until further notice, the Jaguars are the team to beat in the AFC South. Sure, the Texans won more games in 2025, but Jacksonville seized the division.
Granted, the Jags won't have an easy road to winning the AFC South again, and the Texans are a legitimate threat. However, they have more than enough talent on both sides of the ball to repel their division foes. The fact that Trevor Lawrence is expected to keep making strides under Liam Coen in Year 2 should make them feel good about their chances.
Sure, Houston has a formidable defense, but there's no guarantee that C.J. Stroud will bounce back or that the offensive line will improve. That, in turn, makes the Texans vulnerable.
If the Texans get off to a hot start in 2026, maybe you can change the rankings, but the Jaguars remain the top team in the AFC South and have the firepower to keep it that way until further notice.
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