ESPN Names 1 Foe Jaguars Must Overcome For Divisional Dominance

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the defending AFC South Champions, but ESPN’s FPI believes there will be one divisional opponent in particular who could be a major threat to the Jaguars continuing their streak. 

ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi ranked the Tennessee Titans as an AFC South contender with the worst-to-best arc in 2026. 

If you liked playing "maybe our second-year QB takes the leap" with the Saints and Giants, you'll also enjoy playing it with the Titans! Oyefusi writes.

The ESPN analyst explains why Ward is a massive leverage that Tennessee is holding over the entire AFC South this season. 

”Cam Ward, who was the No. 1 draft pick in 2025, was considered a better prospect than Jaxson Dart at this time last year, but otherwise the Titans are similar to the Giants -- just in less exciting ways. As a rookie, Ward ranked last among qualifying starters in QBR (33.2). The Titans added two first-round picks in this year's draft, but only one of them was in the top 10 (WR Carnell Tate at No. 4). The Titans added a lot of veterans on defense this offseason, but they don't particularly stand out. And the Titans also have a new coaching staff, but Robert Saleh doesn't have the track record of John Harbaugh.”

“The Titans do have their division as a point in their favor, as the FPI is more impressed by the Eagles and Cowboys than it is by the Texans and Jaguars,” he concludes.

There’s no denying that the Titans are expected to make a serious 180-degree turn in their performance from last season, based on the off-season chatter and with Cam Ward back. But them actually holding off the Jaguars is where things get interesting.

For a team with Robert Saleh’s top-tier defensive hiring, Cam Ward’s breakout potential, and a 2026 schedule that features the sixth-least expected miles traveled in the league with a perfectly placed mid-season bye, Tennessee’s shot at overpowering the Jaguars is still a possibility. 

However, football isn’t played on a travel grid. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the defending AFC South champions coming off a stellar 13-4 season. Pushing them down for a rebuilding Tennessee team ignores reality. 

The Titans’ hopes rest mainly on rookie Ward’s breakout season, but the Jaguars have a stable and much-experienced QB in Trevor Lawrence. 

 This season, they’re also going to have an explosive wideout in Brian Thomas Jr. with equally big breakout potential to complement Lawrence, and their chemistry in the OTAs is already through the roof. 

All that and it’s not even touching how much the league is sleeping on sophomore Travis Hunter. With a premium CB, WR, and QB duo like Thomas Jr. and Lawrence, fighting the Jaguars for the AFC South will be nothing less than a slugfest in the trenches.

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