Breaking down AFC South odds following the 2020 NFL Draft

The Houston Texans have won the AFC South for two straight years, but 2020 could see a new team atop the division. The Indianapolis Colts made a move to upgrade their quarterback room this offseason while the remainder of the teams in the field appear to be sticking with their 2019 starters.

The Texans’ had the second best odds to win the division before trading DeAndre Hopkins, but have seen their chances drop since then. Signing Phillip Rivers and adding offensive talent through the draft has helped the Colts emerge as favorites to win the division after finishing in third last season. We take a look at the odds of each team on DraftKings Sportsbook here.

Indianapolis Colts (Feb: +250, Post-draft: +138)

Notable additions: QB Philip Rivers, DT DeForest Buckner, CB Xavier Rhodes, CB T.J. Carrie, WR Michael Pittman*, RB Jonathan Taylor*
Notable departures: CB Pierre Desir, TE Eric Ebron

The Colts’ season was thrown off course by the untimely retirement of Andrew Luck and is looking to bounce back in 2020. They posted a 7-9 record with Jacoby Brissett under center while T.Y. Hilton missed six games because of injury, but they’ve made upgrades on both sides of the ball.

Indianapolis added a veteran signal caller in Rivers and acquired wideout Michael Pittman and running back Jonathan Taylor through the draft. It lost Eric Ebron, but has a lot to look forward to on the offensive end if Parris Campbell can put together a healthy second year. The Colts got a stud on their defensive line by trading its No. 13 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers for DeForest Buckner. They also shored up the secondary by signing Xavier Rhodes. Whether these upgrades will be enough to help Indianapolis improve upon last year’s third place finish in the division remains to be seen. Their odds suggest they are in the mix of teams to beat in the AFC South.

Tennessee Titans (Feb: +160, Post-draft: +150)

Notable additions: OLB Vic Beasley, DT Jack Crawford, OT Isaiah Wilson*, CB Kristian Fulton*
Notable departures: OT Jack Conklin, DE Jurrell Casey, WR Tajae Sharpe,

The Titans are essentially running it back with the same team in 2020. They retained Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry as the centerpieces of the offense for the upcoming season, but didn’t gain any offensive talent. In fact, Tennessee lost a coveted free agent in Jack Conklin on the offensive line, which could directly affect the success of Tannehill and Henry. The Titans only trail the Colts in the odds but could have a hard time competing with limited talent at wide receiver.

Houston Texans (Feb: +225, Post-draft: +350)

Notable additions: RB David Johnson, WR Brandin Cooks, WR Randall Cobb, DT Ross Blacklock
Notable departures: WR DeAndre Hopkins, S Tashaun Gipson, CB Johnathan Joseph, DT D.J. Reader*

Houston surprisingly dealt Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals to bring in David Johnson ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. Moving Deshaun Watson’s top targets will have a ton of impact on the team’s offense, but the Texans have attempted to fill in for the superstar by adding Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb to their receiving corps. Watson is still easily the best quarterback in the conference, but can he makes things work without a superstar to depend on? I think they should be favored to win the division title for a third straight year despite ranking third on DK Sportsbook.

Jacksonville Jaguars (Feb: +700, Post-draft: +1400)

Notable additions: LB Joe Schobert, CB Rashaan Melvin, DE Rodney Gunter, TE Tyler Eifert, CB C.J. Henderson*, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson*, WR Laviska Shenault*
Notable departures: CB A.J. Bouye, DE Calais Campbell

The Jaguars have done a lot this offseason and could have more moves on the way. They traded Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears an appeared to be committing to starting Gardner Minshew at quarterback, but have been linked to Andy Dalton since the Cincinnati Bengals released him this week. If he’s under center instead of Minshew, the team could look very different.

Jacksonville is considering trading more than one notable name ahead of the 2020 season. It’s seeking partners willing to take Leonard Fournette and Yannick Ngakoue. Fournette powers the offense while Ngakoue has been one of the NFL’s most dominant pass rushers since he entered the pros in 2016. Defensive rookies like K’Lavon Chaisson and C.J. Henderson could have a hard time replacing big-time names, and it seems like they’ll be asked to carry sizable workloads in year one. Some pieces still need to fall, but it looks like the Jaguars are set to finish last in the division.

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