Houston Texans

Following the retirement of Andrew Luck, the title of the best quarterback in the AFC South was undisputedly held by Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans, and for good reason. In fact, he appears to be in the tier below Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Lamar Jackson when compared to all NFL quarterbacks.

Last season, Watson appeared in 15 games and completed 333-of-495 (67.3%) pass attempts resulting in 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also provided 413 rushing yards and seven rushing scores in part of the ground game.

Even though the Houston Texans ended up adding Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb, the decision to trade away DeAndre Hopkins will naturally impact Watson. The impact of no longer having an elite receiver to set the tone and be the focus of the opposition’s game-plan should not be understated.

The ESPN projection for Watson in 2020 features him completing 338-of-517 (65.4%) pass attempts for 4,020 passing yards, 27 touchdown throws, and 12 interceptions. He is also expected to record 87 carries, 519 rushing yards, and four rushing scores.

Overall, the projections seem spot on for Watson aside from perhaps his passing yardage figures. If he plays in 16 games for the Texans, it’s difficult to envision him barely exceeding the 4,000 mark, so expect him to achieve more than that in the 2020 NFL season.