Baltimore Ravens
(27) Malaki Starks S Georgia
(59) Mike Green Edge Marshall
(91) Emery Jones Jr. OL LSU
(129) Teddye Buchanan LB California
(141) Carson Vinson OT Alabama A&M
(176) Bilhal Kone CB Western Michigan
(186) Tyler Loop K Arizona
(203) LaJohntay Wester WR Colorado
(210) Aeneas Peebles DL Virginia Tech
(212) Robert Longerbeam CB Rutgers
(243) Garrett Dellinger OL LSU
Immediate Impact: S Malaki Starks, Edge Mike Green, K Tyler Loop
Malaki Starks is a starting safety in the NFL on pretty much any team and the Ravens got him at 27. He steps into the role which allows Kyle Hamilton to move back to nickel back where he becomes the ultimate chess piece who can do everything on defense. It’s a brilliant move by the Ravens. Mike Green had some off the field red flags due to sexual assault allegations from years ago and it caused him to slip. He’s a talented pass rusher and his value late in round two was too great to pass up. He gives the Ravens a real edge threat and he’s Kyle Van Noy’s eventual replacement. K Tyler Loop makes this group because Justin Tucker is facing some serious allegations of sexual misconduct himself and the Ravens drafted Loop so they can move on from Tucker.
Best Value: Edge Mike Green
The sexual assault allegations were from high school and his early years at Virginia, so they aren’t recent. If it never comes up again and Green just plays football without incident in the future, he’s a steal late in round two. He’s arguably the best pass rusher on the team from day one and they need him on the edge.
Sleepers: CBs Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam
The Ravens have Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey at CB but Humphrey gets banged up from time to time. They signed Chidobe Awuzie in free agency, he also gets hurt often. TJ Tampa is the only depth they have and he’s unproven. Kone has some fans as he’s a good-sized CB with some skills. Longerbeam is an undersized player who is a nickel back. These are guy who could develop into long-term pieces and given the Ravens track record, I’d bet on them being useful defensive backs at some point.
Overall Analysis
The Ravens do this every year so it’s not surprising they had a good draft. Malakie Starks is the type of excellent football player that seems to always fall into Baltimore’s lap every year. His presence unlocks Kyle Hamilton, the best player on the defense. Mike Green falling to the Ravens’s pick late in round two is unbelievable. He fills such a need for them with a very high ceiling. OL Emery Jones Jr. is also an amazing pick for them. He played RT at LSU but everyone thinks he’s a guard and he’s going to be a good one. The Ravens need some help there and while he may not start immediately, if he’s a starting guard in two years for this team, that’s a completely believable outcome. And he could be very good there. He can also be a solid backup OT in the meantime.
In the middle rounds the Ravens got LB Teddye Buchanan, OT Carson Vinson, and CB Bilhal Kone, all very good developmental prospects at their respective positions. The Ravens have done this for years in the middle rounds and it’s why they always have a solid roster and every once in a while, they unearth a middle round gem. At least one of these players will be a starter for them in two years. Then they drafted K Tyler Loop who will replace Justin Tucker so the team can move on from that particularly bad story they don’t want to be a part of.
WR LaJohntay Wester was a peculiar pick, he’s undersized and was maybe the third best WR at Colorado last season. I’m assuming they are hoping he’s just a cheap replacement for Tylan Wallace at some point. DT Aeneas Peebles was also a little strange but only because the Ravens tend to draft very large defensive linemen and Peebles is smaller, they must have just liked him that much. CB Robert Longerbeam has nickel potential so he’s an acceptable flyer in round six. They also took another interior OL Garrett Dellinger from LSU. He actually played interior o-line at LSU and they will probably stash him on the practice squad and then he’ll be a backup OG in the future.
Nitpick or Concern: For a team that only has Zay Flowers as a truly impressive starting WR they didn’t do much to help the WR group. Signing DeAndre Hopkins and drafting LaJohntay Wester to add to Rashod Bateman, Tez Walker, and Tylan Wallace isn’t really helping the passing game. I would have invested more than the Wester pick given the depth chart. They have to hope Tez Walker takes a step forward because Hopkins looked pretty cooked at the end of last season.
Cincinnati Bengals
(17) Shemar Stewart DE Texas A&M
(49) Demetrius Knight Jr. LB South Carolina
(81) Dylan Fairchild OG Georgia
(119) Barrett Carter LB Clemson
(153) Jalen Rivers OG Miami
(193) Tahj Brooks RB Texas Tech
Immediate Impact: DE Shemar Stewart
Well, they better hope he makes an impact right away. They need pass rush help and while Stewart looks the part, he rarely made the play on the QB in college. Having Trey Hendrickson opposite him would help, assuming they hold on to Hendrickson. Stewart is a big bet on a high upside player, they need him to have an impact, now.
Best Value: OG Dylan Fairchild
I’m of the opinion that the team should have continued to go defense but it’s completely possible they found a starting LG here in round three. Fairchild has the ability to beat out Cordell Volson for the LG job and if he does that and Lucas Patrick can take the RG spot, the offensive line will be much better.
Sleeper: LB Barrett Carter
Taking another LB two rounds after reaching a bit for Demetrius Knight Jr. seems strange. However, if you told me two years from now Carter is a starting LB for the Bengals and Knight isn’t, I wouldn’t be overly shocked. Carter is a better athlete than his testing but he’s a bit undersized so he fell a little. What is does do well is play with instincts and understanding of his position.
Overall Analysis
This was a small draft class and they took a big swing in round one on Shemar Stewart. They are counting on new defensive coordinator Al Golden to be better at developing young, athletic freaks than his predecessor Lou Anarumo was. Stewart’s ceiling is very high but they need him to reach it quickly. They needed help on defense but mostly they needed it on the line and in the secondary, so of course, they took two LBs. Demetrius Knight Jr. is a great athlete but they took him a little too early and unless they trade Germaine Pratt, he’s not playing a ton next season. Pratt asked for a trade so it could happen but he and Logan Wilson are the best part of the defense not named Trey Hendrickson, when they’re healthy.
The Fairchild pick was a solid move to help solidify their offensive line. Protecting Joe Burrow is a worthwhile endeavor so that was a solid pick. Picking LB Barrett Carter to double up at the one position on defense you didn’t truly need to address was just mind boggling. OL Jalen Rivers is a giant OT prospect who they can develop behind Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims and hope he becomes something. RB Tahj Brooks is a solid prospect but a bit of a luxury pick for a team that has Chase Brown, Zack Moss, and just brought back Semaje Perine.
Nitpick or Concern: When they picked LB Demetrius Knight Jr at 49 in round two here are some of the defensive players still on the board; Edge Nic Scourton, CB Benjamin Morrison, Edge Mike Green, CB Trey Amos, DT Shemar Turner, S Andrew Mukuba, DT Darius Alexander, CB Darien Porter. That’s eight guys within the next 20 picks that would have been more impactful for the Bengals defense that desperately needs impact players. Also, they didn’t draft a single player in the secondary or at DT and they needed help at both spots way more than they needed two LBs.
Cleveland Browns
(5) Mason Graham DL Michigan
(33) Carson Schwesinger LB UCLA
(36) Quinshon Judkins RB Ohio St.
(67) Harold Fannin Jr. TE Bowling Green
(94) Dillon Gabriel QB Oregon
(126) Dylan Sampson RB Tennessee
(144) Shadeur Sanders QB Colorado
Immediate Impact: DT Mason Graham, RB Quinshon Judkins
There’s an option here on LB Carson Schwesinger depending on the prognosis for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s neck injury. Also, Shadeur Sanders could be the starter if the owner is deciding the starting QB again this year. I’ll get back to this. Mason Graham immediately becomes the most impactful DT Myles Garrett has ever played with. He may seem slightly small and he has short arms but Graham is a handful on the interior and Garrett is going to love him. Judkins takes over for Nick Chubb, who the team didn’t bring back in free agency. Judkins is the workhorse they need to allow Jerome Ford to do his thing, assuming Ford holds off Dylan Sampson, I’m not assuming that though.
Best Value: RB Dylan Sampson
Don’t give me the Sanders bullshit. Sampson lasting until the fourth round was just too good for the Browns to pass up. He could be an every down back for someone but here he’s the change of pace guy for Judkins. This is going to be an elite backfield if they can find anyone to block for them up front.
Sleeper: QB Dillon Gabriel
You can’t call Sanders a sleeper, people know him and expect him to become the starter here. Gabriel was a reach in round three, he just doesn’t profile like an NFL starter because he doesn’t have the size or the arm strength. However, this is a guy players will go to war for on the field. He’s tough, has elite accuracy, and he will run the offense with supreme efficiency.
Overall Analysis
The Browns made the biggest move of the draft trading down from second and the chance to take Travis Hunter to fifth and taking Mason Graham. They picked up some picks including a first round pick next year and I think they made the wise choice. They cashed in a lottery ticket for some money and another lottery ticket next year. Hunter wasn’t turning around the fortunes of the Browns, Graham is a building block and that first rounder next year gives them options.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Carson Schwesinger pick as I think he’s a little overrated but if Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah can’t come back from is injury, Schwesinger is a better starting option than Devin Bush. I love the Judkins pick, he’s exactly what they need to replace Nick Chubb. Judkins got overshadowed at times by TreVeyon Henderson’s flashiness at Ohio St. but he is an NFL starting RB. TE Harold Fannin Jr. is a fun idea of a player but Kevin Stefanski is going to have to figure out creative ways to use him. Luckily, they have David Njoku, who is a real TE so they can experiment with Fannin. I explained the Sampson pick; it was far too great of a value to pass up and everybody needs two RBs. Anyone who had Jerome Ford on their fantasy team last year knows he’s not a consistent player. Ok, now I’ll get to the Gabriel/Sanders thing.
Nitpick or Concern: Shadeur Sanders’s precipitous fall down the draft board has been talked about in great length. The short version is teams didn’t see his talent as being worthy of a first-round pick, and his attitude during the pre-draft process rubbed teams the wrong way. The pre-draft process is a job interview and apparently Shadeur thought teams were supposed to be pitching him on why he should play for them like it was college recruiting. Dillon Gabriel is essentially the exact opposite guy, he was willing to work out for anyone, anytime, anywhere and everybody loves him. He may only ever be a career backup but he will stick around the league for a decade because he’s willing to be a backup, he’ll always be prepared to play if you need him, and he’ll be a locker room leader even if he never takes a snap.
My biggest nitpick about the Sanders pick is that it feels very much like the owner got involved and made the team take him in round five. The team had passed him over six times on the board, including taking a different QB and then they took him in round five, seems strange. The owner, Jimmy Haslam, has interfered before with the QB, he’s the one who wanted the Deshaun Watson trade and signed off on the ridiculous contract Watson got. Then there have been reports he was the one keeping Watson as the starter even when it was clear he wasn’t good. The Achilles tear may be the only thing that has saved the Browns from continuing to endure the Watson saga, except now, the Sanders saga begins. This is not great process and it could end very badly.
Pittsburgh Steelers
(21) Derrick Harmon DT Oregon
(83) Kaleb Johnson RB Iowa
(123) Jack Sawyer Edge Ohio St.
(164) Yahya Black DT Iowa
(185) Will Howard QB Ohio St.
(226) Carson Bruener LB Washington
(229) Donte Kent CB Central Michigan
Immediate Impact: DT Derrick Harmon, RB Kaleb Johnson
There’s a world in which Aaron Rodgers retires instead of signing with the Steelers and all the sudden Will Howard has a way bigger impact if that happens. For now, Harmon steps in as the third starter on the defensive line with Cam Heyward and Keanu Benton and that group is very tough up front. RB Kaleb Johnson is Najee Harris with the same power but far better deep speed to take the ball the distance. For everyone who has Jaylen Warren penciled in as the starter, get out your erasers because Johnson is taking that job.
Best Value: RB Kaleb Johnson
A late round three pick on a starting RB who’s going to go for 1300 yards rushing next year and break off a half dozen big runs and will be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year, that’s amazing value. Johnson is a perfect scheme fit for Arthur Smith’s offense and he’s everything they wanted Najee Harris to be and never was.
Sleepers: NT Yahya Black, QB Will Howard
You can call me a homer on the back-to-back Johnson and Black picks here but Yahya Black is the perfect Steelers NT. He’s huge at 6’6 336 lbs., he’s immovable in the middle of the line, and he doesn’t care at all about getting credit. He spent the last few years at Iowa just eating up blocks so Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson could fly around and tackle everything in sight. Those are two undersized LBs who would not have been nearly as effective without Black keeping them clean. QB Will Howard only gets a chance to shine if Rodgers isn’t here or if he gets hurt. We know Mason Rudolph is a backup QB; Howard still has some upside that could turn out to be something.
Overall Analysis
Not a huge draft class but they did well with all their picks. Harmon is the heir apparent on this line to Cam Heyward and he’s a worthy successor. Kaleb Johnson couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the offense and he’s basically just an upgraded version of Najee Harris who fits the scheme even better. Edge Jack Sawyer is an athletically limited pass rusher but he just feels like a Steeler. He’s hard-nosed, never quits coming, and they are going to love him in Pittsburgh. It’s a hardhat and lunchpail type of city and he’s a hardhat and lunchpail type of player.
Yahya Black is also going to fit perfectly because he’s coming to work, not saying a thing, and just doing the job. He will never get credit for what he does because they don’t keep stats on those things but he’s going to play in the NFL for a decade as a run stuffing NT. I like the Will Howard pick, if there were two QBs I could have late on day three who could become starters at some point, I think it’s Howard and Kyle McCord. Unfortunately for McCord, he has good QBs in front of him, Howard doesn’t have that problem. LB Carson Bruener is a great story, his dad Mark Bruener played TE for the Steelers for a long time and now he’s a scout for the team. Bruener can be a solid backup and a special team’s ace for now.
Nitpick or Concern: I have to mention the last player as my nitpick and it’s nothing against Donte Kent. I don’t know if he can make the team or not, they aren’t stacked at CB but he’s a small school guy, that’s not my nitpick. They could have taken any number of players from any of the 18 Big Ten schools and completed an All-Big Ten draft class. They went Oregon, Iowa, Ohio St., Iowa, Ohio St., Washington and then screwed it up taking a kid from Central Michigan. If you needed a CB there you could have taken Jermari Harris from Iowa, or Jabbar Muhammed from Oregon, or even DB Sebastian Castro from Iowa who they signed as an undrafted free agent anyway. Sorry Donte Kent, it just would have been cooler if it was an All-Big Ten group.
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