2015 NFL Draft grades: Jaguars may be most improved team in AFC South

The AFC South wasn't exactly a competitive division last season, though the Houston Texans were a surprise contender for a little while. They at least kept the Indianapolis Colts honest in that they were only a couple wins behind them. Ultimately, the Colts took the division by a comfortable margin while the Texans,Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars went back to the drawing board.

All four teams made progress in free agency. The Colts added dependable veterans like Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, the Titans signed guys with big-time potential like Brian Orakpo, the Jaguars went all-in for Julius Thomas and Jared Odrick, and the Texans made quality re-signings with Derek Newton and Kareem Jackson.

So all four teams got better in free agency, but how did they fare in the NFL Draft? As a whole -- pretty good! Three of the four teams earned at least one "A" grade from the five sources we looked at. The Jacksonville Jaguars may have even had the best draft of any team in the NFL.

Still, there were some quality defensive selections that really should help the Colts take it to the next level and compete with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots next season. Cornerback D'Joun Smith and defensive tackle Henry Anderson went later in the draft and both guys have starting potential as rookies. Anderson received the best reception among experts.

The Texans received mostly positive grades from scouts, getting high marks for a strong first three selections. In the first round, they grabbed Kevin Johnson, who should be able to start at cornerback immediately. In the second round, Benardrick McKinney of Mississippi State also can contribute early on, while wide receiver Jaelen Strong has the look of a good No. 2 or even a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

The problem with Strong is that he comes with injury concerns, which caused him to fall to the third round. The Texans need help at receiver sooner rather than later, and if Strong isn't ready to go from the onset they could be in trouble. Still, there's a lot to like about what the Texans did, especially with Christian Covington in the sixth round. He's got a high ceiling.

All eyes were on the Titans as the draft got underway. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the first overall pick, but everyone knew they were going to take Jameis Winston. Tennessee was bombarded with trade offers from teams dying to move up and take Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, but the Titans ultimately held fast and took him with the second overall pick.

It's both a safe and risky pick. It's safe because the Titans need a quarterback, but it's risky because rookie quarterbacks are never a sure thing. Fortunately, the team added some serious help for him right after that, taking receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in the second round and offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi in the third round. Those are all quality selections and they could have the Titans faring better in 2015 than some would have guessed.

T.J. Yeldon fits the bill of a feature back in the NFL, A.J. Cann should be able to step right into a starting role after being picked in the third round and James Sample also can contribute early. The biggest name, however, was Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett, who fell all the way to No. 180 overall, where the Jaguars were more than happy to take him. Bennett should fight for a starting role right off the bat.