Baltimore Ravens
(14) Kyle Hamilton S Notre Dame
(25) Tyler Linderbaum C Iowa
(45) David Ojabo DE/OLB Michigan
(76) Travis Jones DT UConn
(110) Daniel Faalele OT Minnesota
(119) Jalyn Armour-Davis CB Alabama
(128) Charlie Kolar TE Iowa St.
(130) Jordan Stout P Penn St.
(139) Isaiah Likely TE Coastal Carolina
(141) Damarion Williams CB Houston
(196) Tyler Badie RB Missouri
Immediate Impact: S Kyle Hamilton, C Tyler Linderbaum
Kyle Hamilton may seem like a luxury pick with the team that has Chuck Clark and the newly signed Marcus Williams at safety but Hamilton can be used in a lot of ways. He’s the perfect complement to Williams since he can come up in the box and let Williams cover deep or vice versa. Clark is probably on his way out because Hamilton is a more talented and cheaper alternative. Linderbaum was the best center in the draft and the Ravens just happen to need a new starter. They traded Marquise Brown to the Cardinals and then back two spots and still got Linderbaum, someone in Baltimore is living right. He’s the immediate starter and he should be in the Pro Bowl in a couple of years.
Best Value: DT Travis Jones
It’s actually both Hamilton and Linderbaum since they were two of the ten best prospects in this draft but I’m not going to belabor the point and Baltimore got great value with a number of picks. Jones was a freak at the Senior Bowl and it’s a little hard to believe he fell to round three. The Ravens wanted Jordan Davis in round one but Philadelphia traded up and stole him at 13. The Ravens rebounded by getting the second-best nose tackle, because of course they did, they’re the Ravens. Jones will be in the defensive line rotation quickly and will be a starter before too long.
Sleeper: CB Jalen Armour-Davis
The Ravens actually need some help at CB with Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey having some injury issues last year and the team having very little depth. The depth is worse with Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith gone. Armour-Davis was a highly touted recruit who took some time to find his footing at Alabama, understandable considering the level of talent they always have. He had a good year last year and he’s a big, athletic CB who is still getting better. He’s depth for now but Peters is aging and expensive so Armour-Davis could be his replacement in a year.
Overall Analysis
The Ravens’ draft is universally been lauded as fantastic. I have to agree. Kyle Hamilton was the best safety in the class and Tyler Linderbaum was the best center and it wasn’t all that close for either one. Getting two guys of that caliber with the 14th and 25th picks is highway robbery. After getting two immediate starters the Ravens grabbed David Ojabo in round two. He may not play at all this season after tearing his Achilles at his pro day but he has enormous potential beyond this year, very savvy move. Travis Jones is the second-best nose tackle in the draft and a human being that size shouldn’t move like he does, but he does. They needed to get younger up front and they got Jones and Ojabo. They came out of the first two days of the draft with four guys who could all be starters in 2023, GM Eric DeCosta is a master.
On day three the Ravens ended up with six picks, in the fourth round alone. OT Daniel Faalele, CB Jalen Armour-Davis, TE Charlie Kolar, P Jordan Stout, TE Isaiah Likely, and CB Damarion Williams. Faalele is a gigantic human who gives them a nice young developmental OT and a guy they can use if they need to use him. He isn’t the most refined guy but at a minimum, it’s a hike to get around him and that’s better than some of the guys they used at OT last year. Armour-Davis is a nice prospect to bet on. TEs Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely will be added to Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle at the position and it makes TE really good. They will likely run plenty of three TE sets, especially after trading away Marquise Brown. CB Damarion Williams is a solid slot corner they will take a long look at after losing Tavon Young. Some people don’t like that they drafted a punter but Stout was the best punter in the draft, Sam Koch is getting pretty expensive, and Stout was their eighth draft pick in the draft and one of six, fourth round picks they made. I have no problem with them taking a punter here, and I usually hate teams drafting punters/kickers. Finally, they also added RB Tyler Badie. I understand why after all the injuries they had at RB last year, however, if those guys are back healthy, Badie never sees a snap.
Cincinnati Bengals
(31) Daxton Hill DB Michigan
(60) Cam Taylor-Britt CB Nebraska
(95) Zachary Carter DL Florida
(136) Cordell Volson OL North Dakota St.
(166) Tycen Anderson S Toledo
(252) Jeffrey Gunter LB Coastal Carolina
Immediate Impact: DB Daxton Hill
Daxton Hill was the second-best safety in the draft after Kyle Hamilton, however, he’s actually a better coverage guy than Hamilton. Hill can line up at safety, slot corner, and if need be, he could play outside corner. He’s not afraid to tackle either, he’s a complete safety. They needed secondary help and Hill will bring it.
Best Value: CB Cam Taylor-Britt
I’m predisposed to hating Taylor-Britt because he played at Nebraska but he’s a pretty good CB. The Bengals have Chidobe Awuzie on one side and for now, Eli Apple on the other. If you ask me, I think I’ll take Taylor-Britt over Apple at this point. Daxton Hill may end up getting some work at CB but if Taylor-Britt can step up, Hill can be the slot guy, and Apple goes to the bench. A starting CB in round two is good value.
Sleeper: DL Zachary Carter
Carter is a bit of a tweener, he’s not really fast enough to be a DE, and he lacks the bulk to really dominate inside. He is better inside because he can use his quickness instead of sheer size. The Bengals have DJ Reader and BJ Hill at DT and not much else and Carter would give them a different look. If he plays mostly DT he can stick around, if they want him at DE, it’s probably not what’s best for him.
Overall Analysis
This was a small class and the Bengals did most of their heavy lifting in free agency. They did need some help in the secondary and Hill has a chance to be a star while Taylor-Britt can be a starter. They did also draft a bigger safety, Tycen Anderson, in the fifth round. He’s a different type of safety from Hill, he’s more of a box safety with size. They have some long-term questions at safety with Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates not signed beyond the year so I can’t fault them for doubling up the position.
Zachary Carter wouldn’t have been my choice in the third round at 95th overall if I was looking for an interior defensive lineman (Perrion Winfrey was still available), but I understand why they went defensive line. They also reached with OL Cordell Volson, a small school product out of North Dakota St. There were better guys available on the line that could have helped sooner. I do like their seventh rounder Jeffrey Gunter as a potential pass rush specialist early and a developing LB down the road.
Cleveland Browns
(68) Martin Emerson CB Mississippi St.
(78) Alex Wright LB UAB
(99) David Bell WR Purdue
(108) Perrion Winfrey DL Oklahoma
(124) Cade York K LSU
(156) Jerome Ford RB Cincinnati
(202) Michael Woods II WR Oklahoma
(223) Isaiah Thomas DL Oklahoma
(246) Dawson Deaton OL Texas Tech
Immediate Impact: WR David Bell, K Cade York
I love the David Bell pick so much. He isn’t the fastest guy, he isn’t the biggest guy, but he is one of the best, most instinctive WRs you’ll find. The Browns have Amari Cooper but Bell is going to become one of Deshaun Watson’s favorite targets, he just knows how to get open. The Browns drafted a kicker in the fourth round, which is really high, but they needed one. I’m not a fan of kickers getting drafted but I can’t say he won’t be impactful.
Best Value: Bell, DL Perrion Winfrey
Bell could be the steal of the draft. Winfrey was a star at the Senior Bowl after a very good season at Oklahoma. I really thought he was a second-round guy and he fell to the fourth. The Browns aren’t stacked at DT with Taven Bryan, Jordan Elliott, and Tommy Togiai so Winfrey is going to find playing time early.
Sleeper: RB Jerome Ford
Ford was a star at Cincinnati after transferring from Alabama. He’s a great all-around back and can carry a heavy load if needed. He may not play a lot this year if Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt stay healthy but they had issues doing that last season. Also, Hunt’s deal is coming to an end and Chubb is getting expensive. Ford is a nice insurance policy in case they can’t or don’t want to pay these guys moving forward. He has starter ability.
Overall Analysis
I didn’t list Deshaun Watson as an immediate impact because I’m fairly certain he’s going to be suspended to start the season. The Browns traded plenty of draft capital to get him but they still did pretty well in the draft. The Martin Emerson pick was a bit surprising since CB wasn’t a huge need. They just paid Denzel Ward a boatload of money and they just drafted Greg Newsome II last year in round one. They traded Troy Hill but Emerson isn’t a slot corner like Hill. Emerson is a long, athletic guy with some solid traits but a curious pick nonetheless. DE Alex Wright is the Browns taking a shot on a guy who’s built like an elite pass rusher but only plays that way once in a while. The David Bell, Perrion Winfrey, Cade York, Jerome Ford section of the draft was their best. Bell can start, Winfrey is better than Wright, York is their new starting kicker, and Ford was a value pick.
WR Michael Woods II isn’t making this team, the WR group is deeper than you think. On the other side of things, DE Isaiah Thomas, has a shot to make this roster. The DE position is pretty thin after Myles Garrett. OL Dawson Deaton is going to have a steep hill to climb, he’s headed to the practice squad.
Pittsburgh Steelers
(20) Kenny Pickett QB Pitt
(52) George Pickens WR Georgia
(84) DeMarvin Leal DL Texas A&M
(138) Calvin Austin III WR Memphis
(208) Connor Heyward RB/TE Michigan St.
(225) Mark Robinson LB Mississippi
(241) Chris Oladokun QB South Dakota St.
Immediate Impact: QB Kenny Pickett, WR George Pickens
Kenny Pickett will get his chance to compete for the QB job with Mitchell Trubisky and whatever you think of Pickett, he’s good enough to win that job. Trubisky isn’t some well-established, no doubt starter and Pickett’s a first-round pick. Pickens is a little different. He’s a supreme talent but he’s been known to be immature and it probably cost him a shot at being a first-round pick. Pittsburgh might just be the right environment to get the best out of him and get him to grow up a bit.
Best Value: DL DeMarvin Leal
Leal’s stock fell dramatically this last season after he was projected to be a high first-round pick after his 2020 season. He’s still a talented player and he needed to go to the right situation. Welcome to the right situation. Leal won’t have to start right away and he’ll only have to be a part of the rotation in Pittsburgh. He’s always been a bit of a tweener between DE and DT and that’s exactly what the Steelers like in him. He can learn behind Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt and eventually become a starter.
Sleeper: WR Calvin Austin III
This guy is a blur on the field. He’s really undersized at 5’9 and he’s barely over 160 lbs. but he’s fast as lightning. The Steelers may not need him much this year because they have Pickens, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson. However, Johnson is coming up on wanting a new contract and the Steelers may not want to pay him if he continues to have issues with drops. Austin could be a ready-made replacement as the smaller, speedier complement to Pickens and Claypool.
Overall Analysis
As much as I hated the QB class I can see the appeal of Pickett to the Steelers. He’s older and ready to compete for the job right away. He played at Pitt and there’s a built-in familiarity that will make his transition pretty easy. Keep in mind he only has to be better than Ben Roethlisberger was last year, not Big Ben in his prime. However, since no other QBs went before the third round, you could argue they over drafted Pickett. They did get their QB so I can’t fault them for that. Pickens could be a massive steal if he keeps his head on straight and Mike Tomlin should help him do that. Leal was a value pick and I understand the intrigue with Calvin Austin III. Taking a flyer on a small WR with elite speed in round four is understandable and I like it better than people who take them in round two (that was a shot at both the Patriots and the Giants for their round two WRs).
I know the Connor Heyward thing is a nice story, he gets to be on the team with his big brother Cam, who is 11 years older than him. However, Connor is too short to be a TE, too slow to be a RB, and he doesn’t block well enough to be a FB. I don’t see him making this team unless he’s an excellent special teams’ guy. Mark Robinson is much the same at LB, he has to be a special teams’ coverage ace to have an impact here. The seventh round QB pick of Chris Oladokun is even weirder. Lots of seventh round picks are throw aways but this team has Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett who all believe they are competing for the starting job which means there’s barely going to be any snaps for anyone else to even take. Oladokun is headed to the practice squad and I’m not even sure it will be the Steelers practice squad.
The Hott Read 