Baltimore Ravens
(22) Zay Flowers WR Boston College
(86) Trenton Simpson LB Clemson
(124) Tavius Robinson DL Mississippi
(157) Kyu Blu Kelly CB Stanford
(199) Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu OL Oregon
(229) Andrew Vorhees OL USC
Immediate Impact: WR Zay Flowers
The Ravens are trying to improve their passing game and Flowers can do that. He’s basically what they have always hoped Devin Duvernay would be except Flowers actually can do it. He’s an immediate starter in the slot and he gives them the right complement to Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr on the outside. He will also make Mark Andrews better from the TE spot by taking coverage away over the middle. Lamar Jackson will love Flowers and Flowers has never played with a QB anywhere near Jackson’s talent level.
Best Value: OL Andrew Vorhees
Vorhees isn’t going to play this year, he tore his ACL running at the combine. That’s why he was still around in the seventh round. He’s an eventual starter at OG and the Ravens will just stash him on IR this year. They really like their gigantic offensive linemen, especially at guard, and Vorhees fits the bill at 6’6 325 lbs., by the way, he’s the smaller guard they took in the draft. Kevin Zeitler isn’t getting any younger at RG and Ben Cleveland will be a first-time starter at LG replacing Ben Powers, there’s going to be a job for Vorhees taking in 2024.
Sleeper: CB Kyu Blue Kelly
I liked Kelly enough to think he could go as high as round two. He fell to the fifth round and the Ravens liked him enough to take him. They have always been pretty good judges of talent. He has the size you want and I think he has eventual starter potential. The Ravens signed Rock Ya-Sin after the draft to start opposite Marlon Humphrey but Kelly gives them good depth and they usually have some injuries in the secondary.
Overall Analysis
This wasn’t a big draft class but the Ravens used it to fill a few holes now and maybe find some starters down the road. Flowers completes the overhaul of the WR group and makes Lamar Jackson’s life a lot easier. LB Trenton Simpson was their third-round pick and that’s about where he should have gone. Simpson was getting some early round two buzz and that seemed high for a guy who’s mostly a coverage LB who doesn’t tackle all that well. He’s a nice backup at ILB behind Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen and his coverage ability will come in handy.
Tavius Robinson is an older pass rushing prospect out of Mississippi who will likely transition to an OLB spot and try to use his athleticism to his advantage. He’s a backup, not much else. Kyu Blue Kelly I like quite a bit and I really like as a fifth-round guy. He played a lot at Stanford and while that team wasn’t good, he was pretty solid. He’s not flashy but he can play. The two offensive lineman they took late are developmental players for down the road. Vorhees because he’s injured and Aumavae-Laulu because he’s raw. Aumavae-Laulu was a tackle at Oregon but he’s going to be a massive guard at 6’6 330 lbs. if he ever gets good enough to play.
Cincinnati Bengals
(20) Myles Murphy DE Clemson
(60) DJ Turner CB Michigan
(95) Jordan Battle S Alabama
(131) Charlie Jones WR Purdue
(163) Chase Brown RB Illinois
(206) Andrei Iosivas WR Princeton
(217) Brad Robbins P Michigan
(246) DJ Ivey CB Miami
Immediate Impact: P Brad Robbins
This isn’t a slight to the other guys drafted it’s a complement to the Bengals roster. They don’t need an immediate impact out of these guys, they just need them to add depth and talent and give them options. Robbins on the other hand, is the only punter they have and he will start. They needed a good punter and they got one.
Best Value: RB Chase Brown
The Bengals lost Samaje Perine in free agency and they need depth behind Joe Mixon. Brown isn’t the biggest or fastest RB but that guy is a player. He’s tough and he’s physical despite his size and he’s going to play plenty. RBs are generally undervalued but getting Chase Brown in round five is a steal.
Sleeper: WR Charlie Jones
I hate to admit it but Jones has a chance to be something here. No one is better at trading up at QB than Jones. He left Spencer Petras to go play with Aidan O’Connell and now he heads to Cincinnati to play with Joe Burrow, that’s like winning the lottery. The Bengals are going to have some tough decisions to make on who to pay and they may not be able to afford Tyler Boyd much longer. Jones can play in the slot and be a very quick and reliable target for Burrow. Burrow is the type of QB that can put Jones in advantageous positions where he can excel. For this year, Jones can bring value as a punt returner and get acclimated to the offense, next year, he could be the slot guy.
Overall Analysis
This draft might not make major waves on this team but it does make them better. Myles Murphy will be a very good third pass rusher behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard and he lets them get cheaper there at some point. DJ Turner gives them another option at CB and he’s an upgrade over Eli Apple. I seriously considered Jordan Battle as my best value because it’s completely possible he becomes the starting safety opposite Dax Hill. He isn’t a guy who blows you away but he’s a steady player who started for Nick Saban, that’s not nothing. Charlie Jones and Chase Brown are fourth and fifth round picks that add value. Jones as a punt returner and Brown as a very useful backup RB.
Andrei Iosivas is a guy out of Princeton who is a fantastic athlete. He dominated Ivy League competition because he was simply more athletic, he’s got some work to as a WR. However, if you’re going to bet on a guy, take a 6’3 200 lbs. guy with athleticism and speed and was smart enough to go to Princeton, it could work out. They took a punter in round six, with a team this loaded, it’s understandable. CB DJ Ivey is another shot taken based on traits. He’s 6’1 195 lbs. and he’s got experience against major competition; he could be a diamond in the rough or he could just be rough.
Cleveland Browns
(74) Cedric Tillman WR Tennessee
(98) Siaki Ika DT Baylor
(111) Dawand Jones OT Ohio St.
(126) Isaiah McGuire DE Missouri
(140) Dorian Thompson-Robinson QB UCLA
(142) Cameron Mitchell CB Northwestern
(190) Luke Wypler C Ohio St.
Immediate Impact: DT Siaki Ika
The Browns didn’t have a pick until round three due to the Watson trade and surprisingly their roster doesn’t have a lot of holes. They filled in some holes on the defensive line in free agency and while they spent a bunch of money on Dalvin Tomlinson, I think Ika can still be an impact guy. They are looking for bodies behind Tomlinson and Jordan Elliott and they were terrible inside last year, Ika may have been a late third rounder but he can still help.
Best Value: RT Dawand Jones
There’s no real answer as to why Jones fell to round four. There was early buzz he could go as high as the late first round, that was total crap, but second round shouldn’t have been a stretch. He had some issues with teams doubting his love of football and his one day at the Senior Bowl and then bowing out plus not really working out otherwise didn’t help those questions. However, Jones started at RT for Ohio St, he’s over 6’8 and he’s over 370 lbs. with a record setting wingspan. He doesn’t have to be all that good at RT he just needs to be there, running around him is like running around the block to get a sack. He has RT starting potential, he’s going to a team with one of the top o-line coaches in football, Bill Callahan, and they got him in round four.
Sleeper: C Luke Wypler
Umm…what am I missing? How did Wypler fall to round six. He’s a two-year starting center at Ohio St, he’s really athletic, and he has really good hands on the inside. I’ll admit he’s a little undersized but when you move like he does, it’s fine. Ethan Pocic had a good year after taking over as the starting center in Cleveland last year but that’s the first good year he’s had in a six-year career. Wypler is going to be a starter in the NFL and if Pocic slips just a little, it’s Wypler’s job and he’s not letting go of it. Really good pickup by the Browns.
Overall Analysis
The Watson trade is costing this team a lot of draft capital but their roster is still in a solid place. I really like Cedric Tillman as a big X receiver and while he may not start right away, he’s got starter potential sooner rather than later. He can be the big outside guy who allows Amari Cooper to become the Z receiver who moves all over the formation and puts him in the best spot. Tillman is a ball winner on the outside and he makes the offense better. Siaki Ika fills a need on the defensive interior for another big body. Dawand Jones may not be needed right away but he’s well worth the pick as insurance at RT in case something happens to Jack Conklin. We are only a year removed from Conklin having a major knee injury.
DE Isaiah McGuire and CB Cameron Mitchell are big athletic guys who give depth at positions the team needs but they aren’t needle movers. McGuire and Mitchell are solid players but that’s their ceiling. The other pick I really like is QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (aka DTR). DTR isn’t the biggest guy but he’s really athletic, has a strong arm, and he could actually play in an offense similar to the way Deshaun Watson does. I sometimes question teams that have a backup QB that is the opposite of their starter, the Browns have a type. Watson as the starter, they signed Joshua Dobbs as the backup, and now DTR is going to kick Kellen Mond to the curb and maybe Dobbs too. Athletic guys with good arms, that’s a good type to have at QB.
Pittsburgh Steelers
(14) Broderick Jones OT Georgia
(32) Joey Porter Jr CB Penn St.
(49) Keeanu Benton DT Wisconsin
(93) Darnell Washington TE Georgia
(132) Nick Herbig Edge Wisconsin
(241) Cory Trice CB Purdue
(251) Spencer Anderson OT Maryland
Immediate Impact: LT Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr, DT Keeanu Benton
Broderick Jones was my favorite LT in this draft and Steelers traded up to get him and he starts on day one protecting Kenny Pickett’s blindside. He’s not a finished product but he’s got all the tools to be a star and he kicks Dan Moore into the swing tackle role. Joey Porter Jr is a Steelers legacy but he also happens to fill an even bigger hole, CB opposite Patrick Peterson. Porter is a long, physical CB who should fit Pittsburgh’s style perfectly. Between Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and Patrick Peterson, everything Porter doesn’t know about playing CB, he’ll learn quickly. Benton is a Steelers defensive lineman if I’ve ever seen one. He’s not flashy he’s just really effective. He should step right in at nose tackle and gives the Steelers a big body up front to keep blockers occupied and off of the pass rushing LBs. He’s perfect for them.
Best Value: TE Darnell Washington
Apparently, there were some medical questions with Washington and that pushed him down below some other TEs. This is a perfect place for him to end up. In Pittsburgh he won’t be miscast as a #1 TE and the top pass catching threat at the position, Pat Freiermuth is that guy. Washington can continue the role he played at Georgia, the big blocking mauler with great athleticism who can make you pay if you don’t cover him. He’s a steal in round three for his blocking alone.
Sleeper: CB Cory Trice
The Steelers have Patrick Peterson who will be 33 this year, Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace who are free agents after this season, and not much else beyond Porter for young CBs. Trice is a big corner at 6’3 215 lbs. and he’s a physical player, just like they like them. He needs to work on his hands but just like Porter, he’ll have some really good defensive back teachers around to help him get better. I could see him being a starter in a year or two with Porter.
Overall Analysis
I love this draft and it’s not just because the Steelers traded up and stole Broderick Jones from the Jets (although that’s was hilarious). Jones, Porter and Benton all fill big needs for a team that didn’t have premium picks. They also happen to fill high value positions; LT, CB and DT. Jones makes them better and deeper up front. Benton does the same on the defensive side. Porter is a great story and a great player; he’s going to be really good for them.
TE Darnell Washington was a steal in round three and he’s a great complement to Freiermuth and Zack Gentry moves down the depth chart. Nick Herbig is an undersized pass rusher but in Pittsburgh he’s going to be a third designated pass rusher used in specific situations, he should be fine doing that. Trice has potential as a future starter and for now he’s really good depth, maybe at both CB and safety. OL Spencer Anderson probably has to kick inside from tackle but he has experience there so it’s possible if he makes the roster, it’s because he has the versatility to play inside and out. Really good draft overall.
The Hott Read 