AFC South power rankings to begin 2023: The division runs through the Jaguars

No. 1 AFC South Power Ranking before Week 1 of the 2023 season: Jaguars

It's encouraging to see the Jaguars be at the top of a ranking heading into the 2023 season. The fact that the spot is warranted makes it even more exciting. But that's the thing, they're here to stay. They have enough talent on both sides of the ball and enough star power to make you think they can dominate the division and be a playoff contender for years to come.

Leading the way is Trevor Lawrence. The third-year quarterback made a leap in Year 2 and is expected to be even better in 2023 under the tutelage of head coach Doug Pederson. While it's hard to accurately project how much Lawrence will improve, nobody should bat an eye if he's in the MVP conversation late in the season.

That said, Lawrence isn't the only game-changer on offense. Their wide receiver unit is loaded with talent. Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, and Christian Kirk give the Jaguars a trio of reliable targets in the passing game. On top of that, tight end Evan Engram is back in the fold.

Speaking of Pederson, the Jaguars have a head coach that won't let the team get complacent. He already won a championship with the Philadelphia Eagles and he will get a shot at getting another Super Bowl ring in Jacksonville.

On defense, the Jags have lots of promising talent. While Mike Caldwell's unit isn't nearly as good as their 2017 counterpart, it certainly has enough pieces to slow down opposing offenses next season.

The bottomline is that the Jaguars have star power at key positions, a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, and an outstanding coach in Doug Pederson. All of them will ensure Jacksonville remains at the top of the AFC South in 2023.