Baltimore Ravens
(27) Rashod Bateman WR Minnesota
(31) Odafe Oweh OLB Penn St
(94) Ben Cleveland OG Georgia
(104) Brandon Stephens CB SMU
(131) Tylan Wallace WR Oklahoma St
(160) Shaun Wade DB Ohio St
(171) Daelin Hayes OLB Notre Dame
(184) Ben Mason FB Michigan
Immediate Impact: WR Rashod Bateman, OLB Odafe Oweh
The Ravens signed Sammy Watkins to address their need at WR but there is little chance he stays healthy all season so Bateman will get his chance. He is probably good enough to relegate Watkins to the third receiver role anyway but the Ravens will give Watkins first dibs. Oweh is a special athlete who just isn’t quite there yet as a pass rusher but he has all the tools. If there is one team that can develop those tools it’s the Ravens. Oweh will probably be a designated pass rusher this season but I think he really contributes from that spot.
Best Value: Bateman
He may have been a first-round pick but he is still great value because he deserved to be and he can be a starter. Bateman gives Lamar Jackson a legitimate big, outside receiver. He will make Jackson better and he should help free up Marquise Brown.
Sleepers: WR Tylan Wallace, DB Shaun Wade
Wallace doesn’t really look the part of a top WR. He’s not big, he’s not overly fast and he’s not real physical but somehow, he finds a way to get open down field. He’s a good deep-ball tracker and even though he doesn’t have elite timed speed, he has great field speed. He can make this team as the fourth or fifth WR for now and he could become a much bigger part of the offense in the future. Wade was a highly thought of CB prospect a year ago and then had a rough year at Ohio St. I don’t think he’s coming into the NFL as a CB I think the Ravens will move him to safety. He could be a hell of a safety prospect and bring some solid coverage skills and his hard-hitting tackling to the position. He’s a much better safety prospect than he is a CB prospect.
Overall Analysis
The Ravens never seem to have a bad draft. They understand value, they understand talent and they know how to balance getting immediate help and getting developmental prospects. Just look at this draft, they get Bateman, a nearly finished product to help right now at WR and Tylan Wallace, a guy who will help in a year or two. Oweh is a guy just about to figure it out as a pass rusher, they can get him through the final steps. Daelin Hayes is another prospect that needs development but he might help in a few years. Ben Cleveland is an interior offensive line prospect who is a giant of a man and he could end up playing this year depending on what the Ravens do at center. If they move LG Bradley Boseman to center it’s possible Cleveland could win the spot at LG. The Ravens have a pretty good secondary right now but they do have a few players aging and getting expensive which is why they invested in Brandon Stephens and Shaun Wade. Stephens was a RB a few years ago and he’s just scratching the surface of his abilities at CB but he has the athletic skills to be very good. Wade can make the transition to safety and end up a starter in a few years. The Ravens are one of the few teams to even employ a fullback and while Patrick Ricard is still young, fullbacks take a beating so drafting Ben Mason was a solid investment.
Cincinnati Bengals
(5) Ja’Marr Chase WR LSU
(46) Jackson Carman OL Clemson
(69) Joseph Ossai DE Texas
(111) Cameron Sample DE Tulane
(122) Tyler Shelvin DT LSU
(139) D’Ante Smith OL East Carolina
(149) Evan McPherson K Florida
(190) Trey Hill OL Georgia
(202) Chris Evans RB Michigan
(235) Wyatt Hubert DE Kansas St
Immediate Impact: WR Ja’Marr Chase, OL Jackson Carman
The Bengals chose to go with the WR instead of the OT in round one and while I might have taken Penei Sewell instead, I completely understand taking Chase. He has all the makings of being the next Davante Adams and his connection to Joe Burrow should pay off immediately. If they can keep Burrow upright, he and Chase can be a deadly combination. Speaking of keeping him upright, Jackson Carman needs to step up. Carman was a LT at Clemson but he should slide into guard for the Bengals with Jonah Williams at LT and Riley Reiff at RT. Carman is a big dude who should work well inside and the Bengals interior linemen aren’t great. I think he takes a starting job early.
Best Value: DE Joseph Ossai
Ossai was a highly productive pass rusher at Texas last year after the Longhorns stopped moving him around and he settled in at DE. He’s a bit undersized for a traditional 4-3 DE but he has great pass rushing instincts and skills. The Bengals signed Trey Hendrickson from New Orleans to join Sam Hubbard at DE but Hendrickson has never been a full-time starter. Ossai gives them another DE who is actually a better pass rusher than Hubbard and they got him in the third round.
Sleeper: DT Tyler Shelvin
If he doesn’t eat himself out of the league, he has starter written all over him. The Bengals have DJ Reader, Larry Ogunjobi and Mike Daniels at DT so it might take some time for Shelvin to play but he’s got the talent to do it. He is a gigantic and athletic, that’s a good combination for a DT.
Overall Analysis
Ja’Marr Chase has a chance to be an All-Pro and he’ll be the #1 WR for the Bengals on day one. He makes the WR corps even better by making Tee Higgins the #2 outside receiver which leaves Tyler Boyd to man the slot, his best position. Chase doesn’t just give Burrow a #1 WR, he completes an impressive starting trio. Carman fills a position of need; the Bengals have to get better up front if they want Burrow to survive and thrive. I love the Ossai pick, he was a steal in the third round, I thought he had late first/early second round potential. The team drafted two more DEs, Cameron Sample and Wyatt Hubert, those two guys are developmental players, not sure either makes much of an impact now. The team also added two other players on the offensive line in D’Ante Smith and Trey Hill. They are polar opposites of each other as Smith is a light-on-his-feet OT prospect who needs to gain weight and strength. Hill is an interior player who is big and thick but needs to also get stronger. Developmental offensive linemen are a good idea for this team, they need more help up front. They drafted a kicker, Evan McPherson, he’s good but he’s a kicker. RB Chris Evans had a very weird college career and I’m not sure he makes the team. I actually think the college free agent RB Pooka Williams that they signed after the draft has a better shot at making the roster, at least he looks like a possible Gio Bernard replacement.
Cleveland Browns
(26) Greg Newsome II CB Northwestern
(52) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah LB Notre Dame
(91) Anthony Schwartz WR Auburn
(110) James Hudson OL Cincinnati
(132) Tommy Togiai DL Ohio St
(153) Tony Fields II LB West Virginia
(169) Richard LeCounte S Georgia
(211) Demetric Felton RB UCLA
Immediate Impact: CB Greg Newsome II, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
The Browns have Denzel Ward at one CB spot and they signed Troy Hill to be the nickel but Greedy Williams is their other option outside and he’s coming off a nerve injury in his shoulder that kept him out all last year. Newsome offers the same size advantage Williams had and while he wasn’t the picture of health at Northwestern, he is a talented guy. Newsome could take the starting job. Owusu-Koramoah was a steal in the second round and I think he starts on the weakside. He adds an element of speed at the LB spot, I think he really helps the defense.
Best Value: Owusu-Koramoah
The 52nd pick? How did the NFL teams let that happen? There was supposedly some medical issue but then it was supposed to be cleared up so I have no idea what happened with him. He isn’t the biggest guy but there are plenty of smaller LBs playing great in the NFL and Owusu-Koramoah is going to be the next one.
Sleeper: RB/WR Demetric Felton
The Browns drafted WR Anthony Schwartz in round three to inject some speed into their offense. He’s fast but I actually think Felton could be a more valuable offensive piece. Schwartz is a raw prospect while Felton played WR at UCLA and was drafted as a RB. He has a variety of skills that would make him valuable in the slot and as an air back. They have D’Ernest Johnson but I like what Felton can do for them too.
Overall Analysis
The Browns had a pretty solid defense last season and they added Newsome and Owusu-Koramoah, if that is all they get out of this draft they will still be doing just fine. The took Schwartz in the third round and while he does bring speed, he is pretty unrefined. I’m not sure he helps much right away unless they really coach him up. He’s a track guy that needs to become more of a football player. The Browns have a very good offensive line and I really like the investment in James Hudson, he’s not ready right now but they don’t need him right now. If he can develop, he’s a really nice piece moving forward. DT Tommy Togiai is basically a one-trick pony, he’s a run stopper, he doesn’t do much else. (The Browns outbid many other teams to sign undrafted free agent DT Marvin Wilson from Florida St, he could be an incredible player for them going forward). Tony Fields II is another small LB, apparently the Browns have a type, he has a tougher path to playing time. Maybe a special team’s guy. Richard LeCounte is a safety who plays faster than he worked out. The Browns have been trying to find competent safeties for years and LeCounte may end up being one they can actually use. He shouldn’t start right now but he can be the third safety for sure. Love the Felton pick, he can do some things.
Pittsburgh Steelers
(24) Najee Harris RB Alabama
(55) Pat Freiermuth TE Penn St
(87) Kendrick Green C/G Illinois
(128) Dan Moore Jr. OL Texas A&M
(140) Buddy Johnson LB Texas A&M
(156) Isaiahh Loudermilk DL Wisconsin
(216) Quincy Roche OLB Miami
(245) Tre Norwood CB Oklahoma
(254) Pressley Harvin III P Georgia Tech
Immediate Impact: RB Najee Harris, TE Pat Freiermuth, C Kendrick Green
The Steelers running game was horrible last season and Najee Harris is a very talented back. He will immediately step in as the starter and he should improve the running game overall. However, his impact may be slightly blunted by the fact that Pittsburgh’s offensive line is still pretty weak. They don’t need Freiermuth as much as they need Harris because they have Eric Ebron but Freiermuth improves the offense. He may be asked to stay in and block more than anyone hopes but he can do some of that too. Green has a pretty clear path to a starting job at center with the Maurkice Pouncey retirement. The Steelers have a couple of big holes to fill on the line and it seems nearly impossible to think Green won’t take the center job. He’s big, athletic and still learning the position, it’s a strange combination of potential and production needed.
Best Value: Green
He was a third-round pick, #87 overall, and he’s likely to start at center. That’s real value. They needed more value on the offensive line.
Sleeper: OLB Quincy Roche
The Steelers are counting on Alex Highsmith to replace Bud Dupree who left in free agency. Highsmith is a nice player but he lacks explosion. Roche is a dynamic pass rusher off the edge and he fits the Steelers defensive scheme perfectly. He will give Highsmith a run for his money at the OLB position opposite TJ Watt. I really like Roche and while he isn’t the biggest guy at the position, he knows how to get to the QB.
Overall Analysis
I understand the Najee Harris pick, no one wants to go into a season with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland Jr. as your top backs. However, I would have liked it more if they would have addressed the offensive line a little more thoroughly. Harris doesn’t solve the running game’s issues by himself. TE Pat Freiermuth is a good player and he might be a better pro than he was a college player but they should have taken a lineman at that pick. Kendrick Green is a center that hasn’t always been an offensive lineman and given how good he has become over just a few short years; he has a bright future. They took OT Dan Moore Jr. after Green, he’s a nice developmental project but I’m afraid by the time he’s ready to go the team will be passed its current window of contention. LB Buddy Johnson is nothing special, he doesn’t do anything great. Basically, he’s Vince Williams part two, he’s the ILB the Steelers have been trying to upgrade for years but he’s just good enough to never get replaced. Now they drafted a guy just like him, just good enough not to get rid of. Isaiahh Loudermilk (no, I don’t know why there are two h’s at the end of his first name) is 6’7 293 lbs. and is the quintessential 3-4 DE, he fits Pittsburgh’s DE type exactly. Love Roche, he could have a nice career playing in Pittsburgh’s defense. The Tre Norwood pick was just taking a shot on a guy, they need CB help but I don’t think Norwood is ready for primetime just yet. Hey, they drafted a punter, good for them. Punters are people (and I’m told prospects) too.
The Hott Read 