In this series, I examine which fantasy-relevant 2025 rookies will be good fits on each NFL team. This week I’m looking at the teams in the AFC South. In this series, I’ll be highlighting how much of a need each offensive skill position is for each team. I’ll provide a rating out of 10 for how much of a need each position is. Then I will identify the best (and most realistic) fits among 2025 prospects.
Houston Texans
Quarterback – (0/10)
CJ Stroud may be having a down season compared to his amazing rookie year but that doesn’t mean he’s at any risk of losing his job as a franchise player in Houston.
Running Back – (3/10)
Joe Mixon has been a revelation for this team but with the veteran rusher turning 29 ahead of next season and having a heavy workload throughout his career it’s not a bad idea for the Texans to find his future replacement sooner rather than later.
Wide Receiver – (2/10)
Even if Stefon Diggs departs after this season, Nico Collins and Tank Dell make this an above-average pass-catching unit. There’s no immediate need to make significant upgrades here.
Tight End – (1/10)
Dalton Schultz has been a steady veteran presence and rookie Cade Stover seems primed to take over as the starting tight end when it’s Schultz’s time to move on. It’s unlikely the Texans look to make a move at tight end unless the value is too good to pass up.
Best Fit – Nicholas Singleton
(Running Back – Round 3-4)
Singleton seems to be a polarizing prospect. The Penn State rusher is still only 20 years old and wrapping up a fairly disappointing season given the expectations many had for him. Singleton ran for over 1000 yards as a freshman, but failed to reach that mark a season ago and is on pace to miss the mark again. This season did see a bounce back in efficiency for Singleton with an expanded receiving game.
Scouts vary widely on Singleton’s NFL prospects – he varies from a late 2nd rounder to undrafted in mock drafts. Watching his film it’s easy to see why that’s the case. There are times when I’ve compared him to Adrian Peterson when he has an opportunity to get up to speed. There are significant holes in his game, however. His acceleration in the backfield is mediocre and his stop-start acceleration in the open field is outright bad.
A good combine is very possible for Singleton. Listed at 6’ 226 lbs, Singleton’s size is great. If he’s able to put up a 40-yard dash time around 4.4 seconds, he could see a substantial rise up draft boards.
The Texans have made it clear that they’re going to commit to running the ball. With Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik likely returning next season, that trend will likely continue. Mixon has proven to be a great pick-up for the team, but they’ve been searching for a productive runner behind him. Mixon has dealt with some injuries this season and the soon-to-be 29-year-old has significant miles on him after holding a workhorse role for years on the Bengals. Adding a high-upside runner behind Mixon in the middle rounds would be a good bet for the team.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback – (2/10)
Anthony Richardson may have spent some time on the bench this season, but he’s the quarterback of the future for the Colts. I outlined in a previous article why Richardson was a buy candidate for Dynasty managers following his benching. The Colts organization would be a textbook case of mismanagement if they gave up on a quarterback that they knew was inexperienced and raw coming into the NFL after less than a full season of starts. It now seems apparent that Richardson is still firmly in the Colts’ long-term plans, and rightfully so.
Running Back – (2/10)
Jonathon Taylor is still one of the best rushers in the league and on a large contract with another year of guarantees. The Colts could look to find a cheaper replacement for the future in the draft, but the Colts’ offense’s dependence on Taylor means that’s unlikely.
Wide Receiver – (2/10)
The Colts have great depth at wide receiver. Josh Downs is having a very productive 2nd season and Adonai Mitchell has shown flashes in his limited opportunities. Michael Pittman is in the middle of a thoroughly disappointing season but that can be attributed primarily to playing through a back injury that could have had him land on injured reserve.
Tight End – (5/10)
The Colts have a number of tight ends on the roster but none have been difference makers for them. There were high hopes for Jelani Woods coming into the season, but after two years missed due to injury there’s a real possibility his NFL career never takes off. There are multiple intriguing options at tight end in this draft and the Colts could look to add to the offense this way.
Best Fit – Tyler Warren
(Tight End – Round 2)
The Colts need to make use of their early picks on defense. If they want to use a pick as high as their 2nd rounder on an offensive skill player, I think Tyler Warren would be the best fit. It’s entirely possible Warren doesn’t make it to the middle of the 2nd round where the Colts are likely to be picking. Many mock draft sites have Warren going in the late 1st round. If Warren does make it to the Colts’ 2nd selection, however, he’ll be a slam-dunk selection.
Warren is a reliable target. He’s caught 81 passes this season with only 1 drop. He’s a difficult player to tackle who can pick up yards after the catch. He’s also a very versatile player. Warren not only played ran a majority of his routes from the slot or out wide but he lined up often in the backfield. Warren was 2nd among Power 5 wide receivers and tight ends in rushing yards. 189 rushing yards on 9 yards per attempt is not an insignificant contribution by a tight end.
The Colts with Richardson have operated as a run-heavy team that likes to air the ball out down the field when they do throw. With multiple weapons at receiver suited to that playstyle, Richardson could use a tight end like Warren that provides a reliable target underneath.
Warren could also give the team some opportunities to get creative with him, Taylor, and Richardson in the backfield. While defense will be the first priority for the Colts this offseason, Warren would provide a great complement to this offense.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback – (5/10)
Will Levis does not seem to be the answer at quarterback for the Titans. That being said, his situation may be holding him back somewhat. New head coach Brian Callahan was expected to bring some of the prolific offensive production that the Bengals had to Tennessee. That’s been far from the case. Callahan, as a first-time play caller, has seemed in over his head at times throughout the season. The offensive line has been among the worst units in the league. DeAndre Hopkins was fighting through a knee injury early in the season and it seems to have accelerated an already apparent age-related decline.
Addressing the quarterback situation this offseason would not be a bad choice for the Titans. Unfortunately for them, they may not be in a great position to do so. They’re currently projected to be picking outside of the top five. In what is widely expected to be a two-quarterback draft, the Titans would likely need to mortgage their future to move up to select one of those first-round quarterbacks who have plenty of question marks around them or settle for one of the later-round options at the position. While adding a quarterback through the draft would be ideal, the Titans may simply need to look to build up the rest of their team with an eye on the 2026 quarterback class.
Running Back – (2/10)
Tony Pollard has been one of the bright spots for this Titans team. Tyjae Spears has struggled with injury all season, but he’s still one of the better backup runners in the league. This is one of the few positions on offense that isn’t a pressing need for the Titans.
Wide Receiver – (5/10)
Calvin Ridley has looked fine. Bad quarterback play, a horrendous offensive line, and questionable play calling could be to blame. At the end of the day, the Titans are going to need to add a pass catcher to this team for whoever is under center in 2025 and into the future. Ridley is a good deep ball threat, but the Titans could use a possession receiver on the outside that offers a reliable target when the offensive line (inevitably) breaks down.
Tight End – (3/10)
Tight end isn’t particularly a position of strength for the Titans but with the massive holes around this offense tight end isn’t the most pressing need. Chig Okonkwo has been fine as the starter and backup Josh Whyle has had some flashes. I don’t think the Titans will, or should, make an addition at tight end this offseason.
Best Fit – Tre Harris
(Wide Receiver – Round 2)
The Titans will probably need a new quarterback sooner rather than later. However, with two more games on their schedule against the Jacksonville Jaguars without Trevor Lawrence, it’s very likely that the top quarterbacks are gone when the Titans are on the clock. Outside of Cam Ward, and possibly Shedeur Sanders, I don’t think there’s a quarterback worth using a 1st round pick on, especially an early-mid 1st rounder.
So instead of reaching on a quarterback this season, the Titans should take this opportunity to build up the roster with players to help an incoming quarterback in 2026. It’s not a popular move in the NFL with the pressure for immediate success but reaching on a quarterback rarely goes well.
If Tetairoa McMillan isn’t available at the Titan’s pick, they’d be better off selecting an offensive lineman, as that unit needs significant help ahead of dropping a rookie quarterback behind it. With an early 2nd round pick Tre Harris would be a great pick. Harris has 1st round talent and production, but due to his age and an injury that interrupted his amazing season, he’s likely to fall into the 2nd round.
Harris was having a dominant season before missing time with injury. Even after missing 4.5 games, he still ranks 9th in the FBS in receiving yards. Ridley is a valuable deep ball threat and benefits from being used out of the slot. Harris is a very good deep ball tracker but he’s also great at earning short-intermediate targets from the outside.
With a combo of Ridley and Harris at receiver and another 1st round talent added to the offensive line, the Titans would be well situated to bring a rookie quarterback into a much more stable situation in 2026.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback – (1/10)
No matter what you think about Trevor Lawrence, he’s here to stay. After signing a massive contract extension this offseason, Lawrence isn’t going anywhere.
Running Back – (3/10)
It wasn’t long ago that Travis Etienne was seen as one of the premier young backs in the league. Thus is life as an NFL running back. He’s fallen out of favor with the Jaguars coaching staff in favor of young rusher Tank Bigsby. Bigsby has shown some great flashes, but has been far from dominant himself. The Jaguars aren’t facing a major need at the position but there is absolutely room for an addition if the Jaguars have an interest in establishing the run game as a central part of their offense.
Wide Receiver – (4/10)
Brian Thomas looks like a future star in the NFL. With the WR1 position on the team seemingly locked up, the question moves to depth. Christian Kirk is as good as they come as far as complementary slot receivers go but season ending injuries two years in a row and reaching a potential age cliff means his replacement may need to be brought in sooner rather than later.
Tight End – (3/10)
Evan Engram is an above-average producer at the position and with plenty of holes on the roster, the Jaguars will likely have their focus on improving other positions rather than tight end.
Best Fit – Ashton Jeanty
(Running Back – Round 1)
This pick is a bit of a stretch, but I think there’s a path to this being a good strategy for the Jaguars. The first issue is that this team is one of the worst in the league defensively. By almost every metric they’re among the worst defensive teams in the league. Picking the best available defensive player at the top of the draft is by no means a bad idea.
Having the inside track to the 1st overall pick means that quarterback-needy teams will be calling. The Jaguars could move back a handful of spots and pick up additional draft capital necessary to fill out the holes they have on defense. And with that lower, but still early, 1st round pick, the Jaguars could add a potential team-defining talent in Ashton Jeanty.
The Jaguars have the quarterback position locked down. Brian Thomas seems to be a future star at receiver. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram provide additional veteran options at receiver. All of these pieces together have not resulted in a proficient offense though. Jeanty could bring the explosive play ability to take the weight off of Trevor Lawrence to consistently create big plays.
Another potential factor is the likelihood that there will be a head coach vacancy in Jacksonville following this season. After a great first season with Doug Pederson, the Jaguars have gotten progressively worse in each of their next two seasons. A new head coach could look to change the philosophy of the offense with a game-changer like Jeanty. There is one potential head coach candidate who would bring this prediction from a long shot to the most likely scenario – Arthur Smith. Arthur Smith’s time as the head coach in Atlanta was filled with mediocrity while being stuck with subpar quarterback play.
Before the season I pointed out how Smith was going to lead Harris to his best fantasy finish since he was a rookie. Harris is on pace for over 1500 yards from scrimmage for the first time since that rookie season in Smith’s offense. Smith has already taken a running back in the top 10 of the NFL Draft with Bijan Robinson in 2023 and would surprise no one if he did it again with the Jaguars and Jeanty.
