PFF’s All-Time Single-Season Teams: AFC South

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PFF’s All-Time Single-Season Teams: AFC South

In honor of PFF heading into its 20th season of grading and data collection, we’re taking a look back at the best single-season performances for each team, according to PFF grading.

As such, we’ve built a series of starting offensive and defensive lineups for all 32 teams using the highest-graded seasons at every position. There are a few rules:

1. A player must have played at least 500 snaps in a given season
2. A player can only make one appearance per roster (e.g., Julio Jones can’t take up all three WR slots for Atlanta)
3. A player who was acquired midseason can still be slotted provided he fulfilled the required snap minimum for that team.

Without further ado, here are PFF’s all-time single-season lineups for the AFC South.

Houston Texans

• RB: Arian Foster, 82.5 (2011)

• WR: Andre Johnson, 91.6 (2012)

• TE: Joel Dreessen, 87.3 (2011)

• LG: Wade Smith, 86.7 (2010)

• C: Chris Myers, 92.6 (2011)

• RT: Eric Winston, 80.7 (2007)

• LB: DeMeco Ryans, 86.7 (2007)

• S: Quintin Demps, 86.1 (2016)

Few, if any, teams in this series could boast a better receiving trio than Nico Collins, DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson. Collins has become a superstar over the past two seasons, and his 92.3 PFF receiving grade in 2024 ranked seconds in the NFL. Hopkins’ incredible seven-year stint in Houston peaked with a 92.1 PFF receiving grade in 2018. Last but not least, Johnson was at the zenith of his powers during the 2012 season, which was the sixth of seven consecutive campaigns in which he posted at least an 84.0 PFF receiving grade.

Houston’s defensive line features stars both old and new. J.J. Watt could’ve occupied an edge defender slot, but his highest-graded season came in 2013, when he most often played over or shading offensive tackles. Meanwhile, the Texans currently have a burgeoning star in Will Anderson Jr., who ranked 10th in the NFL with an 87.8 overall PFF grade this past season.

Indianapolis Colts

• QB: Peyton Manning, 94.4 (2007)

• WR: Reggie Wayne, 91.6 (2007)

• TE: Dwayne Allen, 85.9 (2012)

• C: Jeff Saturday, 92.5 (2007)

• RG: Jake Scott, 80.5 (2007)

• EDGE: Robert Mathis, 90.8 (2013)

• LB: Jerrell Freeman, 89.4 (2015)

• CB: Nick Harper, 85.1 (2006)

• S: Bob Sanders, 87.3 (2007)

• S: Antoine Bethea, 84.1 (2006)

• FLEX: Mike Adams, 82.2 (2014)

Peyton Manning’s sustained success in the NFL made him one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He was particularly incredible during the 2007 season, as he earned a 94.4 overall PFF grade and tied his career-high with a 7.5% big-time throw rate. He certainly had help in the form of Reggie Wayne, who earned a career-best 91.5 PFF receiving grade that season.

The Colts’ single-season defense also features a wide array of players from different eras. The safety duo of Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea was a huge reason they finally broke through and won Super Bowl 41. Robert Mathis has a legitimate Hall of Fame case and was never better than in 2013, when he led the NFL with a 91.0 PFF pass-rush grade (minimum 520 snaps). Current Colt DeForest Buckner set the team record for PFF grade by a qualified defensive tackle and continues to produce at a consistent level.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• QB: David Garrard, 80.9 (2007)

• RB: Maurice Jones-Drew, 81.2 (2007)

• LT: Eugene Monroe, 80.5 (2012)

• LG: Vince Manuwai, 85.6 (2007)

• RG: Chris Naeole, 80.8 (2006)

• RT: Tony Pashos, 83.2 (2008)

• DI: Marcel Dareus, 78.5 (2018)

• LB: Paul Posluszny, 90.1 (2011)

• LB: Daryl Smith, 87.8 (2009)

• S: Dwight Lowery, 77.6 (2012)

Brian Thomas Jr.’s appearance on this list gives credence to how special a player he could be. The 2024 first-round pick earned an outstanding 83.4 PFF receiving grade in his rookie season despite the dysfunction on the team around him. If Trevor Lawrence can stay healthy, Thomas could soon form one half of a scary receiving duo alongside 2025 first-rounder Travis Hunter.

The Jaguars carried a truly special defense in 2017 that could only be foiled by the greatness of Tom Brady. That unit was the highest-graded defense in the NFL that season led by budding star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who topped his position with a 91.3 overall PFF grade. Calais Campbell anchored a stellar defensive line in the first of three straight seasons that he earned a 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grade.

Tennessee Titans

• WR: Kendall Wright, 81.5 (2013)

• TE: Delanie Walker, 88.0 (2015)

• LT: Michael Roos, 90.3 (2008)

• C: Kevin Mawae, 79.9 (2006)

• RG: Jake Scott, 82.6 (2009)

• RT: David Stewart, 90.7 (2008)

• EDGE: Kyle Vanden Bosch, 80.3 (2007)

• DI: Albert Haynesworth, 90.2 (2007)

• DI: Jurrell Casey, 85.6 (2018)

• LB: Wesley Woodyard, 90.2 (2015)

• CB: Cortland Finnegan, 85.6 (2011)

• CB: Nick Harper, 83.6 (2008)

Tennessee carried a special unit of offensive skill players in 2020. Ryan Tannehill earned a career-high 90.6 overall PFF grade while throwing 34 touchdowns, including the postseason. Likewise, Henry’s 91.7 PFF rushing grade was his highest in any season until he surpassed that mark in Baltimore in 2024, and A.J. Brown ranked fourth in the NFL with a 90.4 PFF receiving grade. Corey Davis wasn’t far behind in eighth place with a stellar 85.6 PFF receiving grade.

Many remember Albert Haynesworth for the ill-fated contract he signed with Washington, but he was a terrific player for the Titans. Haynesworth led the NFL with a 90.2 overall PFF grade in 2007 while compiling a career-high 52 pressures. The team’s secondary is headlined by Kevin Byard, who is one of the best safeties of the past decade. He led the NFL with a 90.4 overall PFF grade in 2021 while picking off five passes.

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