{"id":22457,"date":"2022-05-12T18:40:57","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T22:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/?p=22457"},"modified":"2022-05-12T18:40:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T22:40:59","slug":"afc-south-draft-grades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/nfl\/afc-south-draft-grades\/","title":{"rendered":"AFC SOUTH DRAFT GRADES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY ADAM GREENE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We turn our judgmental gaze now to the AFC South, the worst division in the NFL last year. Only one team out of the South made the playoffs, the Tennessee Titans. And while they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, they were the worst one seed since the last time the Titans claimed the top spot in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results were the same \u2014 a one and done playoff \u201crun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the draft offers opportunities for those teams on the cusp to add a guy or three that can make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as a refresher, here\u2019s the criteria I use to determine each team\u2019s grades for their performance in the NFL\u2019s annual amateur player selection meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. It\u2019s impossible to earn an \u201cA\u201d rating if a team has no first round pick. A franchise can (and teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams regularly do) grab stars all through the draft in every round, but we can\u2019t know how that works out for a few years. Players selected in Rounds 1-3 should all be potential starters. Any \u201cstarting level\u201d player taken after that is a steal and I\u2019ll note them when I see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Draft Grade I will mark with my figurative red pen will be based on the men taken today, not in some imaginary future that pundits and scouts like to concoct in their minds. I will do no \u201cceiling\u201d calculations, as a \u201cceiling\u201d is just another word for \u201csomething I made up.\u201d We\u2019re talking \u201cfloors\u201d here, because that\u2019s what\u2019s on tape. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve seen from these guys in the NCAA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOUSTON<\/strong> TEXANS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selections:<\/strong> No. 3: Derek Stingley, CB, LSU \u2014 No. 15: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M \u2014 No. 37: Jalen Pitre, DB, Baylor \u2014 No. 44: John Metchie III, WR, Alabama \u2014 No. 75: Christian Harris, LB, Alabama \u2014 No. 107: Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida \u2014 No. 150: Thomas Booker, DT, Stanford \u2014 No. 170: Teagan Quitoriano, TE, Oregon State \u2014 No. 205: Austin Deculus, OL, LSU<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade:<\/strong> A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Texans had so many picks in the first three rounds, it should have been impossible to screw up. Yet, Houston has a knack of doing just that. Therefore, it\u2019s nice to see the NFL\u2019s own version of a religious cult actually nail a draft. I\u2019m sure whatever team these young men end up on in a few years will be happy that the Texans took on the majority of their guaranteed rookie contracts and didn\u2019t burn them up with extra games in the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stingley was my top corner in this draft and while I\u2019m not sure about taking him No. 3 overall, he\u2019s a day one starter and potential star. Kenyon Green was Pro Football Focus\u2019 third-ranked interior offensive lineman, so that\u2019s a guy that starts immediately. Jalen Pitre was part of a nice safety run in the draft that started at the end of the first. He had elite production against a Big 12 schedule with 75 tackles, 18.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. It\u2019s on film, not in anyone\u2019s imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, taking the two Alabama guys, Metchie and Harris adds a couple of immediate starters. Metchie is the second best wide receiver on the team right now and Harris will probably find his way into the starting line up before the year\u2019s out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TENNESSEE<\/strong> TITANS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selections:<\/strong> No. 18: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas \u2014 No. 35: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn \u2014 No. 69: Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State \u2014No. 86: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty \u2014 No. 131: Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan \u2014 No. 143: Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Maryland \u2014 No. 163: Kyle Philips, WR, UCLA \u2014 No. 204: Theo Jackson, CB, Tennessee \u2014 No. 219: Chance Campbell, LB, Mississippi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade:<\/strong> B+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here I am a victim of my own rules, because the Titans\u2019 draft day activities absolutely deserve an \u201cF.\u201d Trading away AJ Brown for Treylon Burks and a late third round pick is one of the dumbest \u201cteam building\u201d moves in NFL history. When you draft an elite player and he plays at an elite level, then you\u2019ve won. You did it. Your scouting and draft process worked to perfection. The fact that these cheap ass teams do that, manage to grab a star, then think \u201cOh no! He\u2019ll cost money now\u201d is the reason Tennessee has not and will not win a Super Bowl. Mark it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having one of the league\u2019s best receiving tandems in Robert Woods and Brown, they now have Woods and an unproven rookie. Granted, Burks had a first round grade and went where he should, but this is a self-inflicted problem that the Titans could have solved by paying the guy they already had what he was worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond that, McCreary and Petit-Frere are both starters that will immediately plug in and play. Willis went where he should, in the third round, and will have the opportunity to sit and learn behind Ryan Tannehill, even if Tannehill doesn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chigoziem Okonkwo, Kyle Philips and Theo Jackson are all sneaky good picks. Okonkwo could end up an H-Back like the team hasn\u2019t had since Frank Wycheck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INDIANAPOLIS<\/strong> COLTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selections:<\/strong> No. 53: Alec Piece, WR, Cincinnati \u2014 Round 73: Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia \u2014 No. 77: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan \u2014 No. 96: Nick Cross, Safety, Maryland \u2014 No. 159: Eric Johnson, DT, Missouri State \u2014 Round 192: Andrew Ogletree, TE, Youngstown State \u2014 No. 216: Curtis Brooks, DT, Cincinnati \u2014 No. 239: Rodney Thomas, DB, Yale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade:<\/strong> B<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts had no first rounder, so the rules apply, but this is a draft that should be scary for the rest of the AFC South. Alec Pierce is probably an immediate starter and Woods was one of my favorite later round prospects in this draft. Raimann might move around some on the line, but he\u2019s starting quality that will probably be a key reserve on one of the best O-lines in football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JACKSONVILLE<\/strong> JAGUARS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selections:<\/strong> No. 1: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia \u2014 No. 27: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah \u2014 No. 65: Luke Fortner, Center, Kentucky \u2014 No. 70: Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming \u2014 No. 154: Snoop Conner, RB, Mississippi \u2014 No. 197: Gregory Junior, CB, Ouachita Baptist University \u2014 No. 222: Montaric Brown, CB, Arkansas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade:<\/strong> B-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of all the potential first round picks the Jags were rumored to be looking at, Walker was the one I thought they were most likely to NOT select. Man, was I wrong. This is a guy that exercised really well and jumped plenty of guys that outperformed him at real football. Jacksonville outsmarted itself with the pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lloyd and Fortner are starters, as is Walker honestly. I\u2019ll just be shocked if he has anywhere near the rookie season that Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jermaine Johnson II will have. And one of those guys was taken 25 picks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of this draft is just weird, with oddball selections from small schools and guys I struggled to even find stats on. Conner is probably the best pick of the later rounds and if there\u2019s one thing the Jaguars did not need, it was another running back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with us our socials on Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY ADAM GREENE We turn our judgmental gaze now to the AFC South, the worst division in the NFL last…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":16063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22457"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22461,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22457\/revisions\/22461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}