After coming off a surprising run to clinch the AFC South in 2022, do the Jacksonville Jaguars have an encore performance on tap in 2023? Trevor Lawrence emerged as a legitimate franchise quarterback in 2022 and is now just another high-end signal-caller in a stacked AFC. Half the battle in the NFL is finding a quarterback that can lead you to the playoffs, followed by having the right one that can carry you through January and into February. Lawrence and the Jags proved to have an offense capable of making noise in the second half of the year, and there’s merit in them improving on both sides of the football in 2023. 

With an offense containing Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram, it’s not hard to see them continuing to grow in 2023 and becoming even more explosive. On defense, the sophomore season for Travon Walker could undoubtedly make or break their progress. The promising first overall pick out of Georgia had a solid rookie season but has a chance to grow into a Pro Bowl-caliber talent moving forward. If he can do that, it will go a long way in helping the Jags come out on top in a relatively weak AFC South in 2023. 

Let’s check in on the Jags competition to stop them from repeating. The Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans combined to form, by all accounts, the worst division in the NFL last year. The Titans are still likely to be led by Ryan Tannehill, but keep an eye on rookie Will Levis if things don’t go well early. The Colts and Texans are also bringing in highly touted rookie signal callers, with the Houston drafting former Ohio State Buckeye C.J. Stroud, while Indy hopes the athletic Anthony Richardson is the answer at the position. With Lawrence already demonstrating he can perform at a high level, he has a leg up on his fellow quarterbacks in the AFC South-leading into 2023. 

Buy or Sell: Jacksonville Jaguars Win AFC South (-150)

Even though some of the competition in the AFC South should be improved, there’s a strong chance that the Jaguars will find another level too. Jacksonville has a juiced price tag to win the AFC South at -150 on the BetMGM Sportsbook. There’s always the possibility that one of these high-potential young quarterbacks finds success in their rookie season, but there’s a reason why the Jags are sizable favorites to repeat. Where we stand, there’s not a lot of merit in expecting one of Jacksonville’s three competitors in the division to emerge in 2023. In 2024, things could change, but for now, we have a lot of confidence in this team getting to the next level and repeating as AFC South champs.