NFL Draft Grades - AFC South
With the 2019 NFL Draft officially complete, theScore's NFL editors hand out their initial grades for how teams fared over the course of the three-day event.
NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
Houston Texans
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | OT Tytus Howard |
| 2 | 54 | CB Lonnie Johnson |
| 2 | 55 | OT Max Scharping |
| 3 | 86 | TE Kahale Warring |
| 5 | 161 | DE Charles Omenihu |
| 6 | 195 | CB Xavier Crawford |
| 7 | 220 | FB Cullen Gillaspia |
Being passive in free agency made the draft that much more important for the Texans to hit on, but they remained quiet in Nashville and it hurt them. The Philadelphia Eagles stole their top target, offensive tackle Andre Dillard, after trading past the AFC South champs in Round 1, forcing Houston to settle for Howard out of Alabama State. The Texans spent Day 2 and Day 3 reaching for unheralded prospects. It's hard to argue the Texans are better after the 2019 draft than they were after the 2018 draft.
Grade: D-
Indianapolis Colts
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 34 | CB Rock Ya-Sin |
| 2 | 49 | EDGE Ben Banogu |
| 2 | 59 | WR Parris Campbell |
| 3 | 89 | LB Bobby Okereke |
| 4 | 109 | S Khari Willis |
| 5 | 144 | S Marvell Tell III |
| 5 | 164 | LB E.J. Speed |
| 6 | 199 | EDGE Gerri Green |
| 7 | 240 | OT Jackson Barton |
| 7 | 246 | OL Javon Patterson |
On paper, the Colts collected a bunch of spare parts instead of core pieces, and that's disappointing given the abundance of early picks. Ya-Sin has a chance to contribute as starter from Day 1, but most of the others are athletic upside picks who will require development. That strategy can work, and Chris Ballard proved doubters wrong with what turned out to be a phenomenal 2018 class, but it's hard to trust that blindly. As it stands right now, Indy's draft haul was underwhelming at best.
Grade: C
Jacksonville Jaguars
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | EDGE Josh Allen |
| 2 | 35 | OT Jawaan Taylor |
| 3 | 69 | TE Josh Oliver |
| 3 | 98 | S Quincy Williams |
| 5 | 140 | RB Ryquell Armstead |
| 6 | 178 | QB Gardner Minshew |
| 7 | 235 | DT Dontavius Russell |
Allen was a no-brainer after falling to Jacksonville at No. 7, and Taylor provides great value after he slipped out of the first round. For those two picks alone, the Jaguars will likely be able to call this draft a success. From there, though, things went downhill, and that's what keeps them from earning what seemed destined to be top marks. Williams, their third-rounder, admitted he was preparing to go undrafted. Nobody in the second half of the class is likely to make a significant impact in 2019.
Grade: B
Tennessee Titans
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | DT Jeffery Simmons |
| 2 | 51 | WR A.J. Brown |
| 3 | 82 | G Nate Davis |
| 4 | 116 | S Amani Hooker |
| 5 | 168 | EDGE D'Andre Walker |
| 6 | 188 | LB David Long |
The host Titans got a top-five talent in Simmons, but are expected to stash him on injured reserve as a rookie while he recovers from a torn ACL. Brown, Davis, and Hooker were nice gets, and will all compete for starting jobs right away. Even the likes of Walker and Long could earn meaningful snaps in part-time roles as rookies. The lack of a game-changing player for the 2019 season limits the immediate upside of this class, however.