AFC South Breakout Candidates 2015

Houston Texans

Jadaveon Clowney, OLB: Okay so this choice is a little bit of a copout. Clowney is insanely talented, and if he stays healthy he could immediately establish himself as an elite edge rusher. JC has power and jaw dropping speed for his size, and he also has an underrated array of pass rushing moves. In college he was consistently triple teamed by the left tackle, tight end and running back, but he still made a huge impact and got to the QB a lot. On Houston, he is in a great situation with JJ Watt, and since offenses have to pay the most attention to Watt he will get a lot of 1-on-1 rushes so he can thrive. The one thing standing in his way is health, but if he can stay on the field he could be great. I'm predicting 12 sacks for the 1st overall pick, and for him and Watt to be the best duo on any defense in the NFL (that's right, I'm looking at you Sherman and Thomas).

Indianapolis Colts

Jack Mewhort, OG: If he makes the jump I am predicting, the Colts could have the best offense in the NFL. Not to say the entire offense will rely on the play of one offensive guard, the Colts are going to have an elite O either way, but it would help a lot because they don't have an overly strong offensive line. Mewhort is a strong, physical player, and he is a very smart player too. Luck is a smart QB, and whatever offense they end up running, Mewhort will be able to keep up with it. I actually think he would make a great center for the Colts, because he is a highly intelligent player that is tough and can be a leader of the team. Whether he plays guard or center, he should make a jump this coming year on what should be a much stronger Colts offensive line.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Telvin Smith, OLB: The Jags are a great team to pick a breakout candidate for, because there are so many players that could make a big jump in 2015. I went with one of my many man crushes in Telvin Smith. This guy has a nose for the ball, and can flat out play. He's undersized, like so many other players though (Aaron Donald, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Wes Welker), he plays much bigger than he actually is. He had a slow start to last season, but he was a rookie so that is almost expected. He still needs to work on his consistency, but he ended the season with 64 tackles in his last 6 games, and 31 in his last 2. Where he could really thrive this coming season is in coverage. He is a Shaq Thompson type player, that could realistically play safety, but he is extremely instinctive and almost an energizer bunny-type player on the field. I'm expecting him to do damage in all facets of the game, with 130 combined tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. He's a very exciting player to watch and has an All-Pro ceiling.

Tennessee Titans

Bishop Sankey, RB: To be honest, I'm not the biggest Bishop Sankey fan, but the situation he is in is too good for him not to be a breakout candidate. He has very little competition to be the starting running back (sorry Shone Green and David Cobb), so he should get the bulk of the carries. Also, having Marcus Mariota as the QB will be huge for the run game. A mobile QB opens up an entirely different threat for an offense. In Washington, Alfred Morris runs for roughly a yard more on average with RGIII as his quarterback. Sankey is a solid strong back, that has proven able to carry a big workload. Tennessee has a good offensive line too, and a lot of weapons at receiver to open up the field. I'm predicting 1,000 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns for the former 2nd round pick.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Indianapolis Colts

Offense

Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Duron Carter, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. So the answer is yes the Colts have some talent on offense. Andrew Luck is the best young quarterback in the NFL. He is already elite, and it won't be long before he is in the conversation with Brady and Rodgers for the best QB in the NFL. Some say he is in it now, but I digress. The weapons he has this coming year for the Colts are by far the most he has ever had, so expect another leap in development for Luck, which is downright scary for the rest of the NFL. Frank Gore has been proving me wrong for the past few years, so I'm going to stop betting against him. He is easily the best running back the Colts have had since Edgerrin James with Peyton Manning, and that will keep opposing defenses from only playing the pass. If either Donte Moncrief or Phillip Dorsett step up this year, then the Colts will have 3 very good wide receivers. Duron Carter is a question mark, as he is coming from the CFL and nobody knows what to expect. That being said, he is 6-5 and very talented, so they might have added one heck of a red zone target for Luck. On top of the WR's, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen are both solid tight ends that can be great red zone targets for Luck. The offensive line is still a question mark though. Anthony Castonzo is a good LT, and Todd Herremens was a good signing at guard, but there are question marks at every other position. Jack Mewhort can hopefully develop into a good player, but he is still young and unproven for the most part. Gosder Cherilus has not lived up to the contract he signed a couple years ago in free agency with the Colts, and the center position is entirely unproven and unspectacular. It would be smart to line Dwayne Allen up as a blocking TE a lot this season to give Luck more time in the pocket, so expect to see that quite a bit. The lack of a great offensive line still doesn't overshadow the fact that this was an elite offense last year, and they will be even better this year with the additions.

Defense

The Colts defense is looking better this year. The biggest addition for them isn't an addition at all, it's getting Robert Mathis back from injury. Even though Mathis is getting older, he is still an elite edge rusher, and a major pass rushing threat in which they lacked last year. They also signed Trent Cole to pair with Robert Mathis so they can really bring the pressure. Up front they have Arthur Jones and the recently signed Kendall Langford who are both solid defensive linemen. D'Qwell Jackson is a good run-stopper but a liability in coverage, and Jerrell Freeman is a solid all around ILB. Vontae Davis is the difference maker for the Colts. Without him their secondary might be one of the worst in the league, but he is a top 3 cornerback in football. Even though he doesn't get as much press as Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson or Joe Haden, I would argue that he is better then Haden and Peterson, and on Sherman's level. Apart from Davis, their secondary is lacking. Greg Toler is okay at the other cornerback spot, and Darius Butler is a good slot corner, but the Colts safeties are huge question marks going into the season. This defense has talent, and Mathis coming back is huge, but don't expect too much from them. The only thing that matters is that will keep the Colts in games this year.

The Colts should be the favourites to win the AFC South going into the season. They are the only team in their division with an established QB, and lucky for them they don't only have an established one they have an elite one. They are stacked at the skill positions, and Luck will get more help then he ever has. They lost to the Patriots in the AFC championship game last year, and with the moves they made this offseason, a Super Bowl berth is not out of the question for Indianapolis.