Houston came away with one of the steadier classes in the division, Indianapolis did a nice job filling needs, Tennessee landed game-changing talent at the top of the draft, and Jacksonville had too many moments where the value just did not line up with the board.
Sportsvival is staying in the AFC and moving to the South. This division had a little bit of everything, teams trying to find immediate help in the trenches, teams looking for roster balance, and teams that needed to maximize every pick because they simply did not have much room for error. Some clubs handled that better than others, and that is why this division ended up with a pretty wide spread in final grades.
Houston Texans, Final Grade: B
1-26, Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech
2-36, Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
2-59, Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
4-106, Febechi Nwaiwu, G, Oklahoma
4-123, Wade Woodaz, LB, Clemson
5-141, Kamari Ramsey, S, USC
6-204, Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College
7-243, Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana.
Houston had a solid draft. Sportsvival likes the early tone the Texans set with Rutledge and McDonald because both picks made sense for a team trying to stay physical and dependable up front. Rutledge gives them interior help with starter potential, McDonald adds real size and strength inside, and that is a good way to begin a class.
Sportsvival also thinks Houston found some value later on. Kamari Ramsey was a nice addition in the fifth round, Lewis Bond feels like a smart late swing at receiver, and this overall class did not get too cute. It was steady, useful, and built with a purpose, which is enough for Houston to land a B.
Indianapolis Colts, Final Grade: B
2-53, CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
3-78, A.J. Haulcy, SAF, LSU
4-113, Jalen Farmer, G, Kentucky
4-135, Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
5-156, George Gumbs Jr., EDGE, Florida
6-214, Caden Curry, EDGE, Ohio State
7-237, Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
7-254, Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma.
Indianapolis did a good job of filling needs. CJ Allen and A.J. Haulcy gave the Colts help on defense, Farmer added offensive line depth, and there was a pretty clear effort here to come away with useful football players rather than force flashy picks. This class may not get a ton of national hype, but it feels like a practical group.
Sportsvival thinks Deion Burks can be a productive player. He is the kind of late-round skill player who could outperform where he was picked if he settles into the right role. The Colts did not reinvent themselves in this draft, but they addressed needs and added players who have a chance to help, and that is enough for a B.
Jacksonville Jaguars, Final Grade: C-
2-56, Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
3-81, Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M
3-88, Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
3-100, Jalen Huskey, S, Maryland
4-119, Wesley Williams, EDGE, Duke
5-164, Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston
6-191, Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
6-203, C.J. Williams, WR, Stanford
7-233, Zach Durfee, EDGE, Washington
7-240, Parker Hughes, LB, Middle Tennessee State.
Jacksonville did not have a first-round pick in 2026, with its first selection coming at No. 56 overall.
Sportsvival is not going to dance around it, Jacksonville reached on several picks. Emmanuel Pregnon was their best selection and the one pick that really stood out in a positive way because it felt like strong value and a possible early contributor. Beyond that, too much of this class felt like Jacksonville was operating above where the board should have been.
There are some players here who could become useful pieces, but the overall haul just does not feel sharp enough. When a class leaves you saying one pick was clearly the best value while too many others felt early, that is usually not a great sign. That is why Sportsvival lands at a C- for the Jaguars.
Tennessee Titans, Final Grade: B+
1-4, Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
1-31, Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
2-60, Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
5-142, Fernando Carmona Jr., G, Arkansas
5-165, Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
6-184, Jackie Marshall, DT, Baylor
6-194, Pat Coogan, C, Indiana
7-225, Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma.
Tennessee’s lack of picks put a lot of pressure on this class, but Sportsvival really likes the game-changing talent the Titans were able to land at the top. Carnell Tate, Keldric Faulk, and Anthony Hill Jr. give this group real juice, and those are the kinds of players who can change the feel of a roster in a hurry. Even with the smaller class size, that top-end talent matters.
Sportsvival also thinks Nick Singleton can be a future starter, which gives Tennessee another intriguing piece beyond the headliners. This class was not loaded with volume, but the Titans made enough high-impact additions that Sportsvival is comfortable moving them up to a B+.
Sportsvival’s AFC South takeaway is pretty simple. Houston had the steadiest class in the division, Indianapolis did a nice job filling needs, Tennessee landed enough impact talent to earn one of the better grades in the South, and Jacksonville is the team that left the most room for doubt because too many picks felt like reaches.