J'Marcus Webb Jersey , it’s time to look ahead at the AFC South and begin to try to predict how the division will break down in the upcoming season. To do that, we’ll take..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Ranking the AFC South Position Groups: Offensive LineNew,22commentsEDTShareTweetShareShareRanking the AFC South Position Groups: Offensive LinePhoto by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesAs we put the draft in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look ahead at the AFC South and begin to try to predict how the division will break down in the upcoming season. To do that, we’ll take each position group from each team and pit them against each other, ranking them from worst to best.To clarify how I’ll be arriving at these rankings, I will be taking various factors into account for each position group. For example, simply having the best running back doesn’t make a group the strongest if they have to run behind a cardboard cutout offensive line. The totality of the situation will be considered before arriving at a ranking.So far we’ve ranked quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and tight ends. So far the Colts are undefeated on the offensive side of the ball, and all that is left to cover is the offensive line. Houston TexansPhoto by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesI instinctively wrote in the Jaguars here, because I’ve been so used to putting them at the bottom on the offensive side of the ball, but here they finally have the opportunity to avoid last place. That distinguished honor goes to the Houston Texans, whose offensive line is their fatal flaw. Last year that line gave up 62 sacks. Sound familiar? They have brought in free agents to fill holes and added tackle Tytus Howard and guard Max Sharping in the first and second rounds of the draft respectively. Also, there is a hope that second year guard Martinas Rankin can take a big step forward this season after making starts at several positions on the line last season due to injuries. Unfortunately, in terms of proven talent, there is very little. Current bookends Seantrel Henderson and Matt Khalil are underwhelming, and any time you have to put faith in rookies to play a meaningful role, it is a roll of the dice. The Colts hit the jackpot doing this in 2018. Will the Texans be so lucky? I have my doubts, but we will see. If they can’t improve Jordan Wilkins Color Rush Jersey , it will likely make a path deep into the playoffs nearly impossible.Jacksonville JaguarsReinhold Matay-USA TODAY SportsThe offensive line for the Jaguars took a beating last season. 4 of their 5 starters ended their 2018 season on injured reserve. There is not an offensive line in the NFL that has the backups to survive that, and it is tough to even field a semi-competent unit when it happens. Because of this, 2019 will almost definitely mark an improvement in the line’s play. However, with so many injuries sidelining your linemen, it is fair to ask what kind of condition these guys will be in when they get back on the field. We take for granted that guys will return to form, but that is no guarantee. Additionally, short of Andrew Norwell, there just isn’t a lot in terms of proven talent on this roster to put faith in. They will certainly hope rookie tackle Jawaan Taylor can step in and make an impact on day one for this group, and if he can, it will certainly bolster them significantly. Taylor has a few questions regarding conditioning, but otherwise seems well suited to be a solid NFL starter who can lift this line as a whole and add another blue chip player to it. This is a young group, and a lot of their progress will depend on staying healthy and on good coaching, but they should see an improvement this season with a better quarterback under center and the return of their starters. Tennessee TitansMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThe Titans have a very solid tandem at tackle in Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin. The pair form one of the best tackle groups in the NFL, as they should be since they were both top 15 picks. On the interior there are more questions. Kevin Pamphile and Roger Saffold will likely be the starting guards, and Ben Jones should handle snaps at center. Saffold was brought in as a free agent from the Rams this offseason, and he’ll be 31 when the season starts. He has been a solid player and was voted Second-Team All-Pro in 2017 and likely offers an upgrade to the interior of the Titans line, but giving big contracts to players who are past 30 is always a risky endeavor. Third round pick Nate Davis was also brought in to compete for a starting role at the guard position, and he rated as the 7th interior offensive lineman in our draft guide. He has the necessary traits to be a valuable starter, and should he develop quickly, this line could be pretty stout all the way across. In short, if the Titans have a healthy Lewan and Conklin https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Henry-Anderson-Jersey , their offensive line should be pretty good. Conklin was hurt much of last season and that led to a down year to the tune of 47 sacks allowed. If Saffold is close to the player he has been, this group should be able to be one of the better groups in the league. Indianapolis ColtsMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThey’ve done it! They’ve swept every offensive position group in their division. Even if you’ve disagreed with me on some of these rankings, you probably didn’t think the Colts were far off, and on the offensive line, they are the clear favorite. The Colts have very possibly got the best offensive line in the NFL, and look like they could have them for a very long time. To begin with, we have Anthony Castonzo, who has been underrated in his value to the team. Castonzo has been a stalwart piece of the line at left tackle, and his return to the roster in week 6 marked a major change in the quality of play across it. They did not allow a sack from week 6 to week 11 after Castonzo returned. Next we have rookie All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson is exactly the kind of player the Colts needed to add to their line. He brought with him a punishing mentality, as well as the desire to be a great teammate. Seriously, watch 2018 Colts film and count how many times someone other than Nelson helps up the receiver or runner after a play. He is almost always on the scene at the end of a play. It is tough to imagine Nelson being a better player in his second season, but it is also a likely possibility.Ryan Kelly had an excellent year himself at center, and being surrounded by quality talent certainly didn’t hurt. With a second year in the same offense and an offseason to work with Luck, Kelly should only get better.The right side of the line for the Colts gets overlooked as pundits rain down praise on Quenton Nelson. Guard Mark Glowinski and tackle Braden Smith solidified a part of the line that had been in flux for the entirety of Andrew Luck’s time in Indy. Glowinski was a waiver claim from the Seahawks and earned himself a nice contract to re-sign with the team. He liked playing with them so much that he even mentioned foregoing better paychecks to stick with the Colts. Smith was a surprise, because he was drafted to play guard. All he did as a rookie was step into the right tackle position and handle guys like J.J. Watt like a seasoned veteran. With so much youth on this line, there is obviously room to improve. That is what makes the addition of the legendary Howard Mudd so critical to this offseason. This front office has built, in short order, a culture that values protecting Andrew Luck. Now they’ve brought in the teacher to hone their technique. Pairing good technique with their winning mentality should make this line dangerous both in 2019 and into the future. How would you rank these groups? The Indianapolis Colts are set to square off at home against the Tennessee Titans this week in a battle of division rivals. The Titans come in after two dominating wins against the Cowboys and Patriots, looking for their third straight victory. They are led by a stellar defense that ranks high in many statistical categories. They boast many Pro-Bowl caliber players such as Kevin Byard and Jurell Casey along with highly touted rookies in Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry. With all of these high profile players filling out their defense, it is no wonder that former fifth round pick Jayon Brown is sliding under the radar. Brown is having a phenomenal year in his second professional season. He has been all over the field for the Titans and has made many clutch plays that have propelled the team to victory. For the year, Brown has tallied 55 tackles Joe Haeg Jersey , 7 tackles for a loss, 6 QB hits, and 4.5 sacks. Here is my scouting report on the most underrated player on the Titans’ defense.College: UCLAMeasurables: Height: 6’0” / Weight: 226 / Age: 2340 Yard Dash: 4.70 / Bench Press: 17 reps / Vert Jump: 31.5 / Broad Jump 120StrengthsRush DefenseBrown is an excellent run defender despite his smaller frame. He understands his run fits very well and fills holes with ease. He is great at sifting through space and still being able to locate the ball carrier. When he does locate the ball carrier, he is a very sound tackler as he breaks his hips down and makes good, clean tackles. He is best when operating in tight spaces when engaging ball carriers. He does tend to struggle with bigger lineman having their way with him at times but overall he understands his assignment and gets to his desired landmark to make a play.Here Brown (#55) makes an excellent play between the tackles against Ezekiel Elliott. He is able to bring down the All-Pro running back for a loss on the play.Here Brown is the strong side linebacker. He steps up and reads the run immediately and is able to fill the run lane for a minimal gain.AthleticismBrown is an excellent athlete at linebacker and really fits the modern day mold for the position. Coming out of college, Brown was seen as a safety/ sub-linebacker hybrid by many analysts. Mark Dulgerian of NFL.com said that “Brown is an rangy weakside LB/safety hybrid who needs to earn his keep on passing down subpackages and on special teams” when he was coming out of college. Obviously, Brown has built upon what those analysts thought back then and really has developed into more of a three down threat with his speed. His sideline-to-sideline ability and the ability to limit big plays are a huge asset to the Titans’ defense.Here Brown is either in a spy on the quarterback or in a mid-zone. Regardless of assignment though, Brown is able to come from his coverage down the field and swallow up Josh Allen for a big sack. His ability to close ground this fast is quite impressive.Pass Rush AbilityBrown is probably the best pass rushing linebacker in football at the moment. His athleticism is so key in this area as he is able to get into the backfield in a hurry by shooting gaps between lineman. He is unrelenting too as a pass rusher, as he is always involved in the play even if he is knocked down or blocked initially. He currently has 4.5 sacks this season which is the most in the NFL among inside linebackers. Brown poses as one of the bigger threats this weekend to end the Colts’ streak of 4 games without allowing a sack.Here Brown shoots right up the middle untouched to get to Carson Wentz for the QB hit. It is definitely worth noting that he blew past one of the league’s best centers in Jason Kelce on this blitz.This next rep is an all star play from the sophomore linebacker. He initially gets knocked to the ground by the running back on the blitz. He is then able to get back to his feet and sack Dak Prescott. On top of all this, he also forces a huge fumble on the play.Where The Colts Can Beat HimPlay Action w/ Tight EndsBrown is a very aggressive linebacker who needs that aggression to be a good run defender. The Colts will likely try to exploit this aggressiveness with a lot of play action combos over the middle to tight ends. Back before the Bills’ game, I wrote that the Colts should utilize their tight ends in playaction to expose linebacker Matt Milano over the middle (a player who is fairly similar to Brown). The result was this play right here for a touchdown.If the Colts want to find similar success against the Titans, they should incorporate similar plays to exploit these linebackers. Brown is a very good, young linebacker but the Colts can win against him by isolating him with their talented tight end group and utilizing play action plays. Here is an example of the Bills doing it against him in a game earlier this season: Allen misses the open throw across the middle but Brown gets beat badly by tight end Charles Clay here. I expect Frank Reich and Andrew Luck to notice this weakness of Brown’s a as a result, use their stout tight end group to much success on Sunday.Final Thoughts Brown is a very talented young player who is coming into his own in his second professional season. The Titans use him in a number of ways were he is able to maximize his talent and athleticism. He has developed into a very good run defender despite his size and he is one of the best pass rushing linebackers in the NFL.Despite his strong play, though, Brown can be beat by Coach Reich and company. The Colts have one of the top tight end groups in the NFL and are a handful for any linebacker who is asked to line up against them. I expect a heavy dosage of these quick hitters off of play action to these tight ends to open up the run game and take advantage of Brown’s sometimes too aggressive play.Overall Brown is a very fun and tenacious player who has excelled for one of the league’s top defenses. That being said though, it is going to take a huge game from him and the other key players on their defense to slow down one of the league’s hottest offenses.