Quarterbacks have a huge impact on the outcome of a football game. Thus, it wasn't shocking to see all AFC South teams invest an early-round pick at the position over the last two years. Back in 2021, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence. This year, the Houston Texans chose C.J. Stroud with the second overall selection and the Indianapolis Colts went with Anthony Richardson two picks later at No. 4.
On the other hand, the Tennessee Titans waited until Round 2 to land Will Levis but the bottom line is that the division is filled with young quarterbacks. A couple of them will need to wait for their chance to showcase their talent but it looks like all four clubs in the AFC South are set at the position ahead of the 2023 season.
With that said, which team has the best quarterback situation in the division? Who's got the worst? Here's a training camp power ranking.
4. AFC South training camp power ranking: CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
The Houston Texas gave Davis Mills a shot to prove he could be their franchise quarterback after putting together a solid rookie campaign. Mills failed but instead of waiting for him to become a player he isn't, the Texans drafted C.J. Stroud second overall in April.
While it's too early to tell how things will play out in Houston, it looks like Stroud could be behind center in the opener. Mills has more experience but Stroud has the higher ceiling of the two, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the Texans roll with him and let him learn on the job.
The talent is there and general manager Nick Caserio has surrounded Stroud with enough talent to compete from Day 1. That said, he needs to set foot on the gridiron before he can move up in this ranking.
3. AFC South training camp power ranking: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Just like the Texans, the Tennessee Titans took a passer in this year's draft. But unlike Houston, they can wait to thrust him into action due to the presence of veteran Ryan Tannehill, who seems poised to be the starter in Week 1.
Make no mistake, the Titans could be Will Levis' team by the end of the season but he'll need to first fend off sophomore Malik Willis. So far, they've both split reps with the second team while Tannehill practices with the starters.
At 35, Tannehill won't get much better. In fact, he could experience a decline at any time but if he's healthy, he gives the Titans the best chance to win right now. As recently as 2021, he completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,819 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Something that could help him have similar numbers in 2023 is that general manager Ran Carthon got him a bonafide No. 1 receiver when he signed DeAndre Hopkins.
Although the Titans are projected to win around six-seven games next season, they have enough talent on both sides of the ball — but especially on defense — to give the Jaguars fits. Going back to Tannehill, he should be QB1 in 2023 unless he struggles mightily.
So why is Ryan Tannehill the No. 3 passer on this list? Because he's never been an upper-echelon quarterback and it's hard to tell whether he's going to bounce back or not.
2. AFC South training camp power ranking: Gardner Mishew, Indianapolis Colts
It's odd talking about (and watching) Gardner Minshew wearing a helmet with a horseshoe logo but he wasn't going to refuse to play for the Indianapolis Colts just because he once wore the Black and Teal, right? After all, this is a business, and just like the Jags moved on from the mustachioed quarterback, he was offered a job and took it.
Now, Minshew isn't a top-tier quarterback but he could certainly win a few games at this point of his career. He flashed as a rookie in Jacksonville but couldn't build on his success and came crashing down in 2020. Some of it was his fault but then-general manager Dave Caldwell didn't give him many weapons to succeed, so the Jags should shoulder some of the blame for his inability to deliver.
Once the Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence, it was going to be a matter of time before they moved on from Minshew and that moment came in the preseason, when they shipped the former Washington State Cougar to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Minshew spent two years backing up Jalen Hurts and after working on his craft, he followed Shane Steichen, his offensive coordinator back in Philly, to Indianapolis. So far, he's looked good in training camp, and although he's split reps with Anthony Richardson, who will eventually take the reins, he should be the starter when he faces his old team in the opener.
Minshew won't probably make the Pro Bowl anytime soon but he gives the Colts a solid short-term option at quarterback and that should be enough to win a handful of games in 2023.
1. AFC South training camp power ranking: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
You could make the case that this ranking is biased but the truth is that Trevor Lawrence deserves the top spot. Is he a top-5 quarterback? That's debatable, as he fluctuates from the fourth-best passer in the league to the 10th best depending on whom you ask.
Most analysts that give Lawrence a spot below No. 7 make a valid point. He's truly played just half a season of good football. Sure, he was solid early in 2022 but he also made several costly mistakes. He only began to play significantly better after the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, he needs to do it on a consistent basis. The question is, can he do it? Totally.
Urban Meyer derailed Lawrence's rookie season and Doug Pederson had to start over with him when he became the head coach for the Jaguars. Lawrence responded and showed considerably under Pederson's tutelage and should have a firmer grasp of the offense in Year 3.
On top of that, Lawrence now has a bonafide No. 1 receiver in Calvin Ridley, who should give the offense another dimension. With that out of the way, the next question is if he's truly a realistic MVP candidate. That's a bit more difficult to answer but talking heads such as Stephen A. Smith of ESPN or Nick Wright of FS1 believe he has a favorable chance.
But even if Lawrence isn't league MVP in 2023, he should still be the best quarterback in the AFC South, which is why he claims the top spot in this ranking.