In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were the AFC’s bright young contender. The Jags’ defense powered them through the regular season at a 10-6 clip, and their power in the trenches led them to playoff wins over the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers (on the road!) before taking the Patriots all the way to the brink.
Given the youth on both sides of the ball, the Jags were the pick du jour heading into 2018 in the AFC South but then it all fell apart. A tougher schedule and injuries forced Blake Bortles to do more than he’s proved capable and the whole machine fell apart.