Perhaps no division in the NFL has a more impressive group of young quarterbacks than the AFC South. Stocked with a former No. 1 (Andrew Luck), No. 2 (Marcus Mariota) and No. 3 overall pick (Blake Bortles), as well as a 25-year old who studied behind a future Hall of Famer for four years (Brock Osweiler), the promise under center, for all four teams, is undeniable. Let’s take a closer look at each QB, comparing their respective careers and projecting how they may fare in 2016.
Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts
By far the most proven and accomplished of the four, it’s only fitting to start with Andrew Luck, the highest paid player in NFL history. While the former No. 1 overall pick had an underwhelming and injury-riddled 2015 campaign – one that was expected to have MVP consideration – he started just seven games (with a lacerated kidney, mind you) and they hardly reflected the player we saw take the league by storm in 2012 and continue to improve. In his first three seasons Luck started all 48 regular season games and led the Colts to the postseason all three times, including two trips to the AFC Championship. What’s more, he finished Top 3 in the league in passing twice and earned trips to the Pro Bowl from 2012-2014.
In short, last season shouldn’t take away from an otherwise remarkable start to a career. Now, heading into 2016, the former Stanford star is looking to return to form, which shouldn’t be difficult. With a plethora of young receivers at his disposal, including T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and last year’s first-round pick Phillip Dorsett, to an underrated defense to help bail him out at times, the stage is set for Luck to reestablish himself as an elite QB. Not to mention the Colts used a first-round pick in May on center Ryan Kelly to improve the O-Line. A healthy and well-rested Andrew Luck should have the Colts right back in contention in the AFC this year and himself right back in the mix of Top 5 quarterbacks. Judging by his contract, the Colts are confident in that happening.
Marcus Mariota – Tennessee Titans
Andrew Luck may have been the most highly touted QB out of college in NFL history but Marcus Mariota wasn’t far behind. Fresh off a Heisman-season at Oregon, the duel-threat prospect was taken No. 2 overall by Tennessee and expected to spark a franchise that hadn’t seen much excitement since Steve “Air” McNair. And though Mariota won just three games his rookie year, he left Titans fans plenty to be hopeful for in the future. Once considered a system QB who could only make one read in a gimmick offense, he quickly silenced doubters in Week 1 by trouncing the Buccaneers with quick reads and a perfect passer rating. He finished the season with nearly 3,000 yards through the air and, despite his primary focus of developing as a pocket passer, Mariota still rushed for 252 yards in 12 starts, including an 87-yard touchdown. His improvement didn’t show up in the win column, but it was clearly there. Expect him to keep developing rapidly, particularly as a pocket passer, in 2016. Mariota will benefit from having the same coach – Mike Mularkey was promoted from interim head coach to permanent – as well as a stable of running backs that includes Pro Bowl free agent addition DeMarco Murray and second-round pick and fellow Heisman winner Derrick Henry. Tennessee also shored up its O-Line with Jack Conklin, giving the team three, first-round picks along the five-man front with another year in the system to grow as a unit. Mariota is still priority No. 1, and if his college success and rookie trajectory is any indication, then the Titans are in the right hands for years to come.
Brock Osweiler – Houston Texans
Brock Osweiler was drafted with the intention of being the Broncos’ heir to Peyton Manning and the plan almost worked to perfection – until it didn’t. The former second-round pick, who started seven games in Manning’s absence in 2015 and played exceptionally well, decided to leave the Super Bowl champions after his rookie contract expired. The move came as somewhat of a shock at first but after looking at it closer, who could blame him? He wanted to carve his own path, out from the shadow of Manning and John Elway, in a new city, with a team starved for a franchise quarterback: the HoustonTexans. Considering the expertise of coach Bill O’Brien when it comes to maximizing a QBs talent – led a playoff run with Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet – and Osweiler’s flashes of promise in limited action – 1,967 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games last year – this seems like a match made in heaven. Stacked with one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by J.J. Watt, and arguably the best wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, one could argue that Houston was a gifted QB away from taking the AFC last year. Simply put, it’s Osweiler’s time to shine in 2016. The Texans gave the 6-foot-7 athletic signal caller $72 million over four years to lead the win-now team to the promise land. No one should overlook the mega-talented Texans or their smart QB who’s seen what it takes to win a championship and has displayed great maturity and leadership over the past four years.
Blake Bortles – Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles enters his third season as a pro after a giant leap in production from Year 1 to Year 2. With heightened responsibility in the offense in 2015, the former UCF Knight threw 131 more passes for 1,520 more yards than he did a season ago. His 35 touchdowns and 4,428 passing yards ranked as the second and seventh most in the league, respectively. While his obvious fallback was interceptions – most in the NFL with 18 – the fact of the matter was that he was still an inexperienced quarterback asked to throw roughly 37 times a game. It was excusable then. Now it’s not. The third-year pro is looking to clean up the turnovers and lead one of the most promising young teams to a double-digit win season, something that has escaped the franchise for close to a decade. He’ll have his 1,000-yard receivers, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson, as well as a talented second-year running back, T.J. Yeldon, to help him along the way. And along with arguably the most talent-laden defense – one that has landed Dante Fowler, Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack in the last two drafts – the Jaguars also have the same head coach, Gus Bradley, and offensive coordinator, Greg Olson, for the second straight year. Stability in the offense and another year to build chemistry with his elite duo of receivers and running backs should allow Bortles to take the next step as a franchise quarterback.
