Taking a look at the 2022 AFC South defenses, lets take a look at the best of the best in the division. Well, in Tennessee, things are slightly different. AP Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp. Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones had a very different approach than Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham for the coin toss ahead of Super Bowl LVII. Mariota signed a 2-year, $18.75 million deal in free agency, but that includes just $6.75 million in guarantees. This front is great for rushing the passer, as it easily isolates outside pass rushers on tackles in one-on-one situations. While the Titans were able to earn the No. In 2022, Kancey notched 7.5 sacks in 11 games, proving to be one of this years best interior pass-rushers. Since being drafted by the Jaguars in 2016. Teams with lots of energy and intensity are often called well-coached, independent of the actual energy of the coach. Interior OL - The addition of Brandon Scherff was a good one for the Jaguars last off-season. Meanwhile, the Colts upgraded at quarterback with Matt Ryan. Such was the case in 2021, when Landry produced a career-best 12 sacks and 22 quarterback hits, which led to his first Pro Bowl berth. Dupree struggled with injuries in 2021 but has proven to be a capable pass rusher. Hell compete for a roster spot during the summer. He has an elite combination of size, strength, a Drake is a quality prospect who possesses impressive athletic ability: he has a unique combination of speed, agility, power as wel David Ojabo may have the greatest upside of any player in the 2022 NFL Draft class with a unique combination of size, strength, an Arnold Ebiketie is an impressive pro prospect who has top-level athletic skills - he's explosive, has elite speed around the edge, Johnson has been rocketing up draft boards after his dominating 2021 season with FSU. Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio's conference during NFL combine week. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid joins 'NFL Now' at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Win total projection: 4.5 (Over +100, Under -120). Below, we'll dive into each AFC South team, highlight their win total odds and give our predictions. He was targeted 58 times during the season, yet only allowed a 51.7% completion rate. There are plenty of talented Josh Allens in the NFL, but this. Okams exit was official a week ago and today Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced that outside linebackers coach Rob Leonard has been hired by the One or two more effective players should do the trick in getting this line over the hump. However, In a similar situation to the linebackers, after Byard, there are not many great safeties. John Harbaugh returns for his 14 th season as head honcho of these Ravens, while Greg Roman returns for his third season calling plays offensively. Gregg Rosenthal projects the starters for every AFC East team. We will be running through all eight divisions, giving our best picks at 2022 breakout candidates. Behind Leonard, there is a steep drop in terms of talent. Buckner has two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro nomination to his name. Yet again, the Colts have a new quarterback. The Colts signed Stephon Gilmore this offseason to help bolster a young Colts secondary. WebSuper Bowl MVP: Cooper Kupp. WebDefensive End Rankings 2022 NFL Draft Home Positions DE ALL QUARTERBACK RUNNING BACK WIDE RECEIVER TIGHT END OFFENSIVE LINE DEFENSIVE LINE EDGE LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK #1 RANKED - SCOUTING REPORT 97 Aidan Hutchinson POSITION RANK #1 OUR RATING 94.8 DE All Scouts Average Overall And while this defense doesnt have the names that other top defenses do, it has the scheme and the execution. He has massive upside as a pass rusher with Hall is an amazing athlete possessing an elite combination of strength, height, long arms, and ridiculous speed as well as change Cameron Thomas is rocketing up draft boards at the moment and with good reason, he's athletic with an incredible set of pass-rushi Mafe Boye has been rocketing up draft boards since his impressive Senior Bowl outing. But at the snap, the Titans personnel tips the scales in their favor. Asking a team like the Texans to pull out three road wins just to get in the conversation of this total may be too big of an ask. Now its Johnsons chance to do the same. He will help beef up a defensive line that desperately needs help. Simmons and Autry also spend time rushing the passer on the edge. 2 overall, Jets seem to be the only team outside of Packers in the running for Aaron Rodgers based on Raiders comments at Combine, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Several teams have seen talented starters walk in the offseason. That would get them to six wins and then you'd have to bank on an upset somewhere else on the schedule or a split against either Tennessee or Indianapolis within the division. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. The most trustworthy part of this roster remains its defensive front. Theyre the worst offense in football in terms of yards per drive, but theyre 24th in expected points added per play, 21st in DVOA, 26th in points per game. This creates wide interior running lanes, putting all the responsibility for stopping the run on the linebackers. John Franklin-Myers did record five sacks in 2022, but was quiet in the second half of the season and his roughing the passer penalty against Mac Jones on what would have been a pick-six was arguably the turning point of the season. pic.twitter.com/lxqFechekA, Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 29, 2022. PFF has three Commanders ranked in the top 101, and the top-ranked Washington player will surprise you. Other blendings are more schematic. The Titans linebackers going into the season are David Long Jr. and Zach Cunningham. Brown was traded to the Eagles after contract extension discussions fell through. Please enter a valid email and try again. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Players with 100+ tackles and 4+ INTs last season, Kenny Moore Shaquille Leonard Logan Wilson. The Jaguars entered each of the last two seasons with a bottom-three NFL roster. The division has plenty of young edge defenders who should be staples in their teams defense for years to come. This shift in numbers may have been to Allen being placed in a weak-side linebacker role instead of a traditional defensive end. For the first time in three years, we saw a different team step up and steal the AFC South away from the Tennessee Titans.Doug Pederson, Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars took the division in a thrilling Week 18 showdown against Tennessee, and then upset the Los Angeles Chargers on Super Wild Card Weekend in what was the 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories. Williams is a number one corner for the first time in his career after playing with Jalen Ramsey for the past few seasons. His projected total contract of two years and $11 million would be cheaper than what the Jets would be paying Lawson for this season. Jonathan Greenard has potential as a young building block. Plus, a Salt Lake City Recap. General manager Brandon Beane on Buffalo Bills' plans for coaching defense with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier gone for the 2023 season. This article contains a position-by-position breakdown of the AFC South Defenses. When running the defenses for the Bills, Lions, and Eagles, Schwartz became synonymous with the Wide-9 fronta defensive line alignment that set outside edge rushers on wide paths to stretch out the offensive line and put immediate pressure on the quarterback. Gregg Rosenthal projects the starters for every AFC West team. We'll look at the individual traits, key stats, what the room accomplished as a whole and a primer for 2023. Offensive Tackle - This group used to be one of the best units in the NFL, but they have fallen off the past couple of years. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Lets now dive into the AFC South breakout candidates. Offensive Tackle - The identity of Tennessees offense has been the run game for the past five or so years. But what about the Patriots? He put up an impressive 12 sacks and 51 solo tackles. WebWith this in mind, this lists prospects who are classified as defensive ends and edge players and excludes any obvious LBs. AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Micah Parsons. He has been a model of consistency since entering the league. Compare their called coverages in the past two seasons with the coverages called by Schwartz when he coordinated the Eagles defense in 2019 and 2020. The Titans third-down simulated pressure package, which very clearly comes from the Bowen crockpot in this defensive potluck, is a huge part of why the Titans defense is so good: They get off the field on third down. Do the 49ers have the talent to dethrone the defending champion Rams? Travis is back for the first part of the 2022 year-end review series on the Drive Time Podcast. That being said, they still need more help on the interior of the offensive line. Schwartzs influence is not difficult to find. Extremely athletic and tallied 6.5 sacks in 2022 and 17.5 over three years for the Tigers. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. During August, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. Our latest mock had them staying put and grabbing QB Will Levis from Kentucky to hopefully be their franchise guy. Theyre a good 2.5 games ahead of the next closest team in their division, the 4-5-1 Colts. The former MVP has adapted and evolved to become an excellent conductor of Phillys offense. But there are tradeoffs for every tactic. Wide Receiver - Michael Pittman Jr. has been pretty solid in his time in Indianapolis, but the team still lacks real explosiveness and playmaking out of the position group. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Daxton Hill (first round) has the talent to play anywhere in the secondary. The Texans havent been able to rush the passer since JJ Watt left. The Titans' statistical profile was closer to that of a 9-8 team than a No. The Tennessee Titans had the best rookie class in 2022 grade-wise, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. So pretty bad. WebGet the comprehensive list of every Defensive End for each NFL pro football team. At the same time, theyll drop defensive linemen into coverage and rotate the remaining defensive backs to create confusion and save time for the rush to arrive. The Jacksonville Jaguars added Foye Oluokun in free agency and drafted Devin Lloyd in the 2022 NFL Draft. Gregg Rosenthal projects the starters for every AFC South team. $4 million of his 2024 salary is currently guaranteed for injury. In Tennessee, the Titans shipped out A.J. Cover 3 is their primary pass coverage, and theyll take pre-snap split-field looks that initially appear like quarters coverage and then rotate a safety into the box at the snap to present the offensive line with a changed picture that can discombobulate run-blocking schemes. . Dont be surprised if JFM is a surprise cap casualty within the next few weeks. Pitre was one of the better safety prospects in this past years draft and he is a projected starter for the Texans. As the defensive linemen took the podiums in Indianapolis on Wednesday, I thought it would be interesting to ask a bunch of them for the one play they would show anybody if asked for the real highlight shot. Christian Kirksey and Kamu Grugier-Hill are projected to start which leaves them as one of the weaker units in the league. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Houston doesnt have the first-overall pick after picking up a miraculous win in Week 18, but they will still be able to get either Bryce Young or C.J. Is this the Browns' year? New York Post. Contributing 73 combined tackles and only allowing one touchdown, Jenkins is a more than serviceable player at the position. Second-year defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was a quiet internal promotion after the 2020 season, during which the Titans had no defensive coordinator and produced one of the leagues worst defenses. He has one year left on his contract. The 2018 sixth-round pick earned himself a three-year, $45 million deal to play for Jacksonville during the off-season. For Jacksonville to realistically hit this over, they'd need to sweep the Texans, beat the Commanders in the opener on the road, beat the Giants at home in Week 7, and earn road wins against the Lions (Week 13) and Jets (Week 16). The defensive line would be a great start. Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles talks about the team's plan to replace legendary quarterback Tom Brady under center. A 2019 sixth-round selection because of his lack of size, the 5-foot-11, sub-230-pound Long darts around the field, sneaking under blocks, popping into gaps, and offering a wide range of coverage influence on passing downs. Enagbare should become one of the top defensive ends in the 2022 NFL Draft class with another season of profound performances under his belt. Teams who win a lot of football games are often called well-coached, because, well, theyre winning a lot of football games, so the coaches are probably doing their jobs well. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. The Titans dont just solve this issue with their scheme, howeverthey also solve it with personnel. Is the Cowboys' declining depth a cause for concern? However, Foyesade Oluokun recently signed to the Jaguars is probably the closest proven talent. The Titans totaled nine sacks in that game against Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (Fantasy Football Outlook for 2022). Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski speaks on Browns' 2023 offseason changes. A defense that nearly beat the Chiefs with Malik Wilis at QB. Jordan has terrorized quarterbacks in the NFC South for years, and has shown no signs of slowing down. 42. Raiders TE Foster Moreau ranked in the top 15 tight ends of 2022. Height Feet 6-4. Cincinnati Bengals Rookie Class Impact for 2022 The defending AFC champs didnt land much in terms of immediate help, but Cincinnati did add depth in a few key areas. They don't have an excuse to miss the playoffs. If the Titans are legit contenders in the ever-powerful AFC, it will be because they have the defense for itand it will serve as yet another testament to one of the leagues best coaches and the quality football his team puts on the field every Sunday, week in and week out. If you account for a split with Indy, you're at seven and now knocking on the door. The Colts were a top 10 rush defense in 2021 bolstered by Deforest Buckner. While he is not Darius Leonard, Oluokun will be a contributing member of the Jacksonville defense. Its for real. November 2, 2022 3:44 pm ET. With Edwards and Denico Autry, who are the platonic ideal of large, angry defensive ends, the Titans have two of the best run-wrecking edge rushers in the leagueplus, theyve been better pass rushers than the Titans bargained for. Defensive line - The future of the offense is bright with Trevor Lawrence at the helm, so now the defense will need to improve to make the Jaguars a real threat. WebHouston Texans Roster: The official source of the Texans roster. Last season mostly felt like treading water; now the Texans should start moving forward. Even as the Tennessee offense has sunk this season, the defense is putting on a master classand is keeping the Titans atop the AFC South. The biggest question surrounding Tennessee is what level of production they'll get from Ryan Tannehill. But can they all turn it around? Defensive End : Cameron Jordan, Saints Cameron Jordan is the type of player that needs no introduction. The Jets would save $15.4 million by cutting Lawson, but will the Jets actually do so with Lawson coming off a strong season and the Jets being in a win-now mode?