We are officially in the dead zone of the NFL. This is the time of year when you hope your team doesn't get mentioned, as it's usually bad news.

Unless you are reading the AFC South positional rankings, in which case you want your team on the board as fast as possible!

Between two articles, I will go through each position and rank them based on talent of the entire group. Hence, quarterback level doesn't impact wide receiver rankings and vice versa.

Let's get to it!

Quarterback:

1st: Colts - Andrew Luck

2nd: Texans - Deshaun Watson

3rd: Jaguars - Nick Foles

4th: Titans - Marcus Mariota

A year removed from injuries for both Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson, the AFC South had two dynamic quarterbacks battling throughout the regular season to win the South, as well as in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. On his way to win Comeback Player of the Year, Luck tallied 39 TDs, 4,593 yards, and a playoff win, and should be the clear No. 1 on this list.

Nick Foles managed for the second season in a row to lead the Eagles to the playoffs as he was once again forced into the lineup, and the Super Bowl MVP will enjoy a full off-season as the guy for the Jaguars. Meanwhile, Mariota will look to bounce back after ranking 25th in passing offense in 2018.

Running back:

1st: Titans - Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis, David Fluellen, Jeremy McNichols, Alex Barnes (R)

2nd: Colts - Marlon Mack, Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines, Spencer Ware

3rd: Jaguars - Leonard Fournette, Alfred Blue, Thomas Rawls

4th: Texans - Lamar Miller, D'Onta Foreman, Buddy Howell

I had a tough time ranking the best group in the division here. On one hand, Marlon Mack would've probably surpassed Henry in both yards and TDs had he played all 16 games in 2018.

However, he didn't, and Henry really looked every bit the bell cow back he is expected to be for the Titans. Furthermore, the RB room for the Colts looks dangerous going into 2018, as all three backups provide quality ability, and could easily be the best group in the division.

Leonard Fournette had a tough year in 2018, averaging 3.3 yards per carry, and had his year cut short due to hamstring issues. However, Fournette is a super-talented runner who will be backed up by the serviceable Alfred Blue. Lastly, Texans are hoping D'Onta Foreman can finally get on the field, as the third-year running back has missed 21 games since tearing his achilles in 2017.

Wide Receiver:

1st: Colts - T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell (R), Chester Rogers, Daurice Fountain

2nd: Texans - DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, Keke Coutee, DeAndre Carter, Vyncint Smith

3rd: Titans - Corey Davis, Tajae Sharpe, Adam Humphries, A.J. Brown (R), Taywan Taylor

4th: Jaguars - Dede Westbrook, Marqise Lee, Chris Conley, DJ Chark, Keelan Cole

While DeAndre Hopkins is easily the best wide receiver in the division, and among the best in the league, there is no way we should ignore the potential of the Colts WR group. Devin Funchess is the perfect outside guy to pair with T.Y., while Parris Campbell provide yet another home run player. Speaking of home run ability, Will Fuller was on his way to a solid year three before tearing his ACL.

The Titans have such a deep, talented, and interesting WR room with so much competition going into the pre-season. If Corey Davis progresses at the same rate as from year one to year two, they are set at WR1. Meanwhile, Humphries provides a really good slot WR option. Tajae Sharpe, A.J. Brown, and Taywan Taylor, which is not a bad group of guys, will battle for the WR2 spot. A lot of "if" going on, but the potential is there for the Titans receivers.

The Jaguars will rely on Dede Westbrook coming into his third year, as well as Marqise Lee, who missed all of 2018 with a knee injury in the pre-season. Keenan Cole also had a slight decline after a solid rookie season and will look to bounce back in year three. By no means a flashy group, and right now it's hard to point to one guy stepping into the WR1 role for the Jags.

Tight End:

1st: Colts - Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox, Ross Travis

2nd: Titans - Delanie Walker, Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser

3rd: Texans - Jordan Thomas, Jordan Akins, Kahale Warring (R), Darren Fells

4th: Jaguars - James O'Shaughnessy, Josh Oliver (R), Geoff Swaim, Ben Koyack

Eric Ebron finally took over in 2018. The former first round pick crushes the rest of the TEs in the division, as he exploded for a whopping 14 touchdowns and 750 receiving yards last season. Jack Doyle will look to bounce back from a nasty hip injury and return to 2017 form, in which he had 4 TDs and nearly 700 yards receiving.

Speaking of significant injuries, Delanie Walker, who will turn 35 in August, comes back from a season-ending ankle injury himself. The 13-year vet has played his best football in his older days, as he has averaged 896 yards and 5 TDs per season from 2014-2017.

The Texans and Jaguars will both look for their third round rookies to play a part in the offense in 2019. Taking rookie expectations out of the equation, I gave the Texans the upper hand, as Jordan Akins impressed me in 2018, despite not putting up major numbers.

Offensive Line:

1st: Colts - Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, Braden Smith

2nd: Titans - Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, Ben Jones, Kevin Pamphile, Jack Conklin

3rd: Jaguars - Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, Brandon Linder, A.J. Cann, Will Richardson, Jawaan Taylor (R)

4th: Texans - Julie'n Davenport, Senio Kelemete, Nick Martin, Zach Fulton, Seantrel Henderson, Tytus Howard (R), Max Scharping (R)

I can't imagine that a single person thought the Colts offensive line would improve as it did from 2017 to 2018. My lord, how the Colts draft department nailed it in the 2018 draft, getting two immediate contributors in Nelson and Smith.

The Colts were rightfully so PFF's third-highest ranked offensive line in 2018. The Titans' front five had been intact from 2016-2018, but saw a decline in that same period. Josh Kline, who continued to struggle in 2018, is off to the Minnesota Vikings, and Saffold, Pamphile, and Jones look to fill in at the middle.

The Jaguars' and Texans' offensive lines were disasters in 2018. After Cam Robinson went down in week 1 after not allowing a single pressure, Josh Walker and Ereck Flowers combined to give up 60 pressures.

Think that was bad? The Texans gave up a league-high 65 sacks on Deshaun Watson. Drafting Jawaan Taylor and getting Cam Robinson back will certainly help the Jaguars. However, Tytus Howard and Max Scharping will have to prove a lot of people wrong, as expectations for them to fill in immediately are low.

Overall rankings, offense:

1st: Colts

The Colts' offense looks scary. The missing pieces of 2018, which included more dynamic receivers and stability at running back, has been upgraded going into 2019. The sky is the limit for this unit, and expectations for league best is not unrealistic.

2nd: Texans

While the Texans have a dynamic quarterback, a top wide receiver, and a fine running back, the offensive line may once again become too much of a liability.

3rd: Titans

The Titans have a tricky offensive group. While the offensive line looks good, the receivers are much improved, and their star running back looks ready to go. Questions remain around Mariota. Can he finally lead this team deep in the playoffs, or will he once again remain average?

4th: Jaguars

Saint Nick will have to prove that the magic he created in Philadelphia was a sign of what he can be permanently. All offensive positions rank at the bottom of my list, and Foles won't have the talent around him that he had in Philly. Can he deliver?