Tag: afc-north

2026 AFC North Preview

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals can’t be my pick to go from worst to first in their division because they finished second to last in the AFC North because the Browns are perpetually terrible.  Instead, I have them going from third to first, but only if Joe Burrow plays the whole season.  Last year Burrow played eight games, and they went 6-11 because the entire offense is based around Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.  The downgrade from Burrow to any backup QB is just too great to overcome.  Zac Taylor is back as head coach and the staff returns but if things go badly, Taylor isn’t surviving another six-win season. 

Joe Burrow is one of the best QBs in football, when healthy.  He’s injured far too often, and the team relies on him too much.  While their focus this off season was fixing the defense, they did that because it will actually take pressure off Burrow.  If the Bengals defense can keep them from being down double digits in games, it would allow the offense to be more balanced, they wouldn’t have to throw the ball 40+ times a game to get back into games, and Burrow wouldn’t be in danger of getting hit so much.  The offense needs to be less pass dependent, that would actually make Burrow an even better QB.

That said, the WR duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is the best in the league and that is not meant to dismiss or disrespect the Rams duo of Nacua and Adams, or the Cowboys duo of Pickens and Lamb, it’s just a fact.  Chase is the best pure WR in the league and when he has a healthy Burrow, he’s simply unmatched.  Higgins is the perfect complement to Chase because his skill set is exactly what you want opposite Chase.  Higgins is a big, physical ball winner who can also go deep and is awesome at the catch point.  When you have these two, the third WR is of no consequence, sorry Andrei Iovisas.  Iovisas is fine but he’s just a guy in this offense.  TE Mike Gesicki makes some plays in the passing game and gives Burrow a different type of target but he’s not a major player in the game.  Keep an eye on Erick All Jr. if he gets healthy this season, he might be the best combination of blocker and pass catcher they have at TE. 

The offensive line might be a group in transition over the next couple of seasons as they have some aging players and some good young talent.  Inside, they have C Ted Karras, he’s the oldest starter at 33, he’s still effective, but they have protected themselves against his possible age regression.  They drafted Connor Lew, who may have been the best center prospect last season if he hadn’t had a knee injury, he’s still working his way back from.  They also drafted Brian Parker II who can play every position on the line.  He could play center if needed but he’s more likely the hedge against RG Dalton Risner’s potential falloff.  Risner has been a late veteran signing the past few seasons who ends up starting because he’s just a little better than a replacement level guy so he’s good enough.  RT Amarius Mims is a rising star and could potentially move to the left side if they feel that’s the best move.  He’s a freak athlete who is only getting better.  LG Dylan Fairchild had some ups and downs as a rookie last year, but the arrow seems to be pointing up for him.  The biggest issue is LT Orlando Brown Jr.  He’s been solid enough but he’s 30 now and at 6’8 350 lbs. (at least, that’s his listed weight), his body may start to betray him.  It’s not his fault, guys that big just don’t last that long, it’s a lot of size to carry around.  Mims would likely move to LT if they need but one thing they don’t have is a good third OT.  Jalen Rivers is a young guy they have but Brian Parker II might be a fill-in if they need to get by.  If the offensive line holds up, this offense should be excellent.   

The running game wasn’t great last year but the offensive line wasn’t awesome at it and teams simply didn’t respect the passing game without Burrow around.  Also, the team fell behind a lot because of the defense and was playing catchup.  Chase Brown is a talented RB and put up better numbers than he probably should have given the circumstances.  If they get the passing game back with Burrow, Brown’s running lanes become much bigger, and he’ll put them to good use.  I don’t feel great about their backups if Brown goes down, Semaje Perine hasn’t been very good at his last few stops.  Maybe he has a resurgence returning to the Bengals where he was once at his best.

The two things that have held the Bengals back from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders since their Super Bowl run a few years ago have been Joe Burrow’s health, and their terrible defense.  They finally decided to address the defense and attacked the defensive front deficiencies with gusto.  They traded their first-round pick for DT Dexter Lawrence.  Lawrence can still be a major difference maker up front.  He didn’t have much DT help in New York; the Bengals have guys to help him.  They signed Jonathan Allen to start next to Lawrence, Allen is aging but if used correctly, can still get it done.  That also moves BJ Hill and TJ Slaton to the backup roles and gives the DT spot actual depth.  At DE, Myles Murphy finally started to play better at the end of last season, it took three years, but he finally showed some ability.  They signed Boye Mafe to be the top edge rusher, he was a rotational guy in Seattle, and they also added to their rotation, they have some guys.  Shemar Stewart was their first-round pick in 2025, had a lost year as a rookie, but he’s a talented athlete who won’t be asked to do more than he’s capable of.  Also, they drafted Cashius Howell in round two this year and he’s going to be the first true speed rusher off the edge this team has had in years.  He’s undersized but he’s lightning quick. 

All of the added talent up front should also help their beleaguered LB corps.  They drafted Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter in the 2025 draft and those two started and played a lot last year.  It wasn’t pretty most of the time, but they let them take their lumps, hoping it will lead to a better future.  Having a far more talented and effective front four will certainly help the play of Knight and Barrett.  Allowing them to play more freely and without having to deal with as many blockers getting to them.  Lawrence and Allen alone will occupy the offensive line in a way that last year’s DTs just couldn’t do and having legitimate pass rushers will make life a lot easier. 

The secondary is pretty set at CB with Dax Hill coming off his best season, it helped he was finally healthy.  And DJ Turner played well as the other outside CB.  Jalen Davis is a solid nickel player and these three all return to do it again.  The safety spot is another ball game.  They were bad at safety last season, and they gave up big plays because of it.  Enter free agent Bryan Cook from the Chiefs.  His job is to tackle everything that gets by the first two lines of defense, and he’s excellent at it.  They return Jordan Battle who should take over at SS but they hedged their bet by adding Kyle Duggar, a veteran who can also tackle.  With a more effective pass rush, the secondary shouldn’t be under constant duress, but Cook gives them a better playmaker when it does happen.   

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens finished 8-9 last season, John Harbaugh was sent packing after 17 years, and they hired the guy they hope is the next Mike Macdonald, Jesse Minter.  There’s a good chance Minter is as good as Macdonald, but he has to prove it.  It will be a lot easier to do if Lamar Jackson is healthy, he just wasn’t last year.  They need his dynamic playmaking on offense because the passing game is almost all him. 

Jackson is a superstar when he’s healthy, a two-time MVP.  He’s getting a new offensive coordinator this year in Declan Doyle who worked for years with Sean Payton and last season with Ben Johnson, those are great minds to learn from.  Doyle will be a first time play caller, it’s not as simple as Payton and Johnson make it look.  If Doyle has the dynamic playmaking Jackson at QB, that job is easier, if Jackson is an injured shell of himself, it’s much, much harder. 

The WR group isn’t great, and they seem to be hoping a rookie really blossoms right away.  Zay Flowers is the volume pass catcher here; he led the team in catches by a lot with 84.  Unfortunately, he only had five touchdowns, that’s not great.  Rashod Bateman is the other returning starter, and he was mostly useless last year.  They drafted two big rookie WRs, Elijah Surratt and Ja’Kobi Lane.  Surratt was drafted before Lane, but Lane has been the breakout player of training camp.  They could really use his size and skill in the red zone to score some TDs.  TE Mark Andrews has slowed down considerably from his heyday but he’s still a guy Lamar is going to trust in tough situations.  He’s not catching 80 balls this year, but he’ll be there when Lamar needs him. 

The offensive line was atrocious last season, and it was almost exclusively the interior that were bad.  Losing C Tyler Linderbaum in free agency isn’t going to help but signing LG John Simpson and drafting RG Vega Ioane is going to fix those two spots.  They signed former Browns starting C Ethan Pocic early in training camp as he is just recovered from an injury.  He should be the starter immediately because going with Danny Pinter there would be a mistake.  LT Ronnie Stanley is still getting it done, even though he’s an aging player with some previous health issues.  RT Roger Rosengarten is fine but unspectacular in every way.  They don’t have much depth so it’s a precarious situation if anyone goes down. 

The running game is in the capable hands of the ageless wonder Derrick Henry.  I’ll believe his downfall due to age when I see it, and I haven’t seen it yet.  He’s a freak athlete with insane size and speed.  If the offensive line can do better, he’s nearly unstoppable.  If the passing offense can find a way to push the ball downfield, that helps him even more.  Justice Hill is a good speed back who complements Henry’s skill set and he’s a useful player. 

The offense suffered last year from Lamar not being healthy, the defense crated when Nnamdi Madubuike went down with an injury.  He’s not as well known as Lamar but he’s just as important to this defense as Lamar is to the offense.  There was worry he may never play again, it was a neck injury, and that’s still possible but it looks like he’s trying to be back.  They need him up front to make Travis Jones and Brandon Washington their best selves.  The team did sign another ageless wonder, Calais Campbell, to give them some cover.  He’s playing defensive line in the NFL at 40 years old; that’s an amazing feat. 

The LBs suffered not having Madubuike up front last season and Roquan Smith just wasn’t himself.  Smith is one of the best ILBs in football, but he looked a bit lonely out there.  They are hoping Teddye Buchanan can be healthy this season because he looks to have a higher ceiling than what they have been getting from Trenton Simpson.  If the line is better up front, that will make the job easier on the ILBs.  They finally invested some money in a pass rusher, signing Trey Hendrickson.  They traded for Maxx Crosby too, but that deal fell through when Crosby failed his physical.  Hendrickson will lead the edge group, but they still need one of the young guys; Tavius Robinson, Mike Greene, or rookie Zion Young to breakout.  Robinson holds down the starting job for now, but the competition is there to take that job. 

It will be interesting to see how Minter deploys this secondary.  He has the ultimate chess piece in Kyle Hamilton.  He’s a safety, a nickel, or anything you need him to be.  They also signed S Jaylinn Hawkins after losing Alohi Gilman in free agency.  Between Hamilton, Hawkins, and Malaki Starks, the Ravens have the three safeties; something they enjoy employing regularly.  At CB, they need Nate Wiggins to be healthy on the outside, he’s their best CB.  Marlon Humphrey will also start but it depends on how they want to line up with Hamilton.  Humphrey is probably best used in the slot but if Hamilton is the nickel, Humphrey is the other outside CB.  If Humphrey is inside, then Chidobe Awuzie probably starts outside.  They do have some guys like TJ Tampa and rookie Chandler Rivers to look at in camp with both Humphrey and Awuzie aging. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers went 10-7 last year and won this division.  The team looks like it’s more talented but the Ravens and Bengals should be healthier and better this season.  It’s going to be an uphill climb for Mike McCarthy in a division that’s getting better and having to replace Mike Tomlin.  Doing it with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is going to be a challenge.  The entire coaching staff has been made over so there’s a lot of change for a franchise that has been the model of consistency for so long. 

Rodgers was fine but not great last year and some of it was on him and some of it was on the team around him and the offense.  He doesn’t move at all like he once did and it really affects the way he runs the offense.  He doesn’t want to hold onto the ball very long and he doesn’t extend plays so there’s a lot of short and intermediate routes and not much down the field.  Better protection up front would help but if Rodgers isn’t willing to get hit and only looks for the short throws, the offense isn’t going to be much better.

The team relied heavily on TEs last season under Arthur Smith and while McCarthy will use TEs, they invested in some WR help so you should see less two and three TE sets.  DK Metcalf is the big-play guy and unfortunately, his downfield prowess is underutilized with Rodgers.  They traded for Michael Pittman Jr., and his mastery of the intermediate area should pair quite nicely with Rodgers. They drafted Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen and both of them should be good short area guys, and they hope this is Roman Wilson’s breakout year.  They still have TE Darnell Washington, who looks like an OT, and Pat Freiermuth is also a guy who should be used more. 

The offensive line is in flux.  Troy Fautanu has moved from RT to LT and that is probably an upgrade over Broderick Jones who had  struggled to really establish himself and was traded to Dallas.  Fautanu may not be an All-Pro level guy but he’s a very good player.  They were hoping Max Iheanachor would step in at RT but he’s had some injury issues and he’s also inexperienced overall.  For now, Dylan Cook is the RT.  Inside, C Zach Frazier is one of the better young centers in football and Mason McCormick is moving to LG where he should also excel.  RG is Spencer Anderson’s job at the moment, but they have guys like Brock Hoffman and Gennings Dunker waiting in wings if Anderson stumbles.

Jaylen Warren started the season as the lead back last season and was doing well but eventually the job became more of timeshare with Kenny Gainwell.  Gainwell looked really good but he left for Tampa Bay.  The team signed Rico Dowdle who was very good in Carolina last season and played well in Dallas for McCarthy.  Eli Heinenreich becomes the third back after they traded Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay.  Heinenreich has a unique skill set and adds another dimension of speed to the backfield. 

The defensive line is still anchored by Cam Heyward; he’s 37 years old but he’s still a good player.  They gave Keanu Benton a new contract this off season even though he’s not guaranteed to start this year.  Yayha Black is set to be the NT; he brings the size and physicality they want at that position.  Derrick Harmon was their first-round pick last year and they are looking for a breakout season from him.  New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has plenty of talent to work with on this defense, it should be fun to see what he can do with it.

The LB group is still led by TJ Watt; he missed some games last season and wasn’t his dominant self but he’s still a threat other teams have to worry about.  The team signed Nick Herbig to a new contract because he’s a 24-year-old pass rusher who had 7.5 sacks as a part-time player last year.  He’s coming for Alex Highsmith’s starting spot even though Highsmith had 9.5 sacks last year.  Highsmith is 29 and they invested in the younger player. At ILB they still have Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson who are a solid pair.  They don’t have much depth inside, so Queen and Wilson have to hold up. 

The secondary is dealing with two questions in the secondary with guys they absolutely need.  Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey started out on the PUP list, but both made the initial roster as healthy.  Porter’s issues go beyond any injury as he wants a new contract and the Steelers may be reluctant to pay him market value, especially with the market exploding with Devon Witherspoon’s new contract and Christian Gonzalez up next.  They need Porter but they have Jamel Dean, who they signed in the off season, Asante Samuel Jr has looked good in camp, and they drafted Daylen Everette.  Ramsey is moving full-time to safety once he’s back and he’ll pair with free agent pickup Jaquan Brisker.  They have DeShon Elliott at safety too and Brandin Echols at CB, they have some depth. 

Cleveland Browns

The Browns were bad last year, and it led to an overhaul of the coaching staff, the only problem is I’m not sure it led to an upgrade on the coaching staff.  Todd Monken is a smart offensive mind, but he’s mostly been a long-time offensive coordinator without much head coaching experience (and only in college).  Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was awesome and after he was passed over for the head coaching job, he quit as DC so now it’s Mike Rutenberg calling the defense.  Schwartz had this unit humming and it won’t be an easy transition.  They made it even harder, trading away Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.  The team picked Deshaun Watson as the starting QB, that’s not a good idea at all.  They won five games last year and despite the upgrades they have made on offense, five wins might be aiming a bit high. 

Deshuan Watson is entering the final year of his disastrous fully guaranteed contract that has been the albatross around the neck of the Browns since the day he signed it.  Their nightmare will finally be over, but they will play him at QB anyway for some reason.  Shedeur Sanders was his competition and either choice is bad.  Watson will be booed mercilessly, he already has been in the preseason, and Sanders is such a limited player it’s awful all around.  The rest of this offense deserves better than these two at QB, the team actually has real playmakers this year. 

At WR, Jerry Jeudy isn’t a great player but he’s a solid professional and he’s going to benefit by no longer being the top option at the position.  The team drafted KC Concepcion in round one and then doubled down in round two taking Denzell Boston.  Boston has already had a breakout training camp looking like a future WR1 and Concepcion has looked good too.  These guys push Jeudy to a role he’s better suited for.  TE Harold Fannin Jr. was arguably the best pass catcher on the team last year and now he has even more help that takes the pressure off him.  If this offense had decent QB play to go with Monken’s play calling, they might have a chance at being fairly dangerous.  That’s going to have to wait a year until they can draft a new QB.

The offensive line gets a complete overhaul; it really needed one.  They drafted Spencer Fano in round one and while he played RT at Utah, he’s coming in and starting at LT on day one.  He’s an upgrade over anyone they played there last season.  LG Zion Johnson got a big contract in free agency, I’m not exactly sure why, he wasn’t good for the Chargers.  However, maybe in a new system the talent that made him a first-round pick will finally show through.  Elgton Jenkins was signed from Green Bay and is penciled in at center.  He may be better at RG but unless rookie Parker Brailsford can show he’s starter level at center, Jenkins is their best bet there.  Teven Jenkins was a backup for the Browns last year and for now, he’s the RG.  The team traded for Tytus Howard from Houston to be their new RT, he should be fine there.

The Browns are on a two-year run of drafting some very good players.  Last season it was TE Harold Fannin Jr. and RB Quinshon Judkins who really gave the offense a jump start.  Judkins got hurt at the end of the year, but he should be back healthy and he’s a true talent.  They also drafted Dylan Sampson and he’s a great complement to Judkins.  If the offensive line can stabilize, the running game will be this team’s best friend.  Being able to lean on the run means putting less on the plate of either bad QB. 

The Browns defense has been excellent for the past few seasons but losing Jim Schwartz and trading away Myles Garrett removes the two biggest pieces to the puzzle and I’m not sure what it looks like without them.  I really like Jard Verse, the guy they got in the Garrett trade, he’s an emerging talent, but he’s just not Myles Garrett.  They have rarely had a good pass rusher opposite Garrett and Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire were nice players, but they don’t scare anyone.  McGuire becomes the starter with Wright going on IR.  DT Maliek Collins was their next best player on the line and he’s dealing with an injury at the moment.  They really need Mike Hall Jr. to step up and be a playmaker, and it would help if Mason Graham takes a second-year leap.  Graham might be the most talented player on the line who isn’t Verse, he needs to be more impactful. 

LB Carson Schwesinger was the defensive rookie of the year last season and was a great pickup by the Browns when they needed one at LB.  They signed Quincy Williams in the off season to be the other LB that actually plays next to Schwesinger and he’s a talented player.  Last season didn’t go well in New York with the Jets for Williams but he’s better than they allowed him to be last year.  These two will be making plays all over the field this year. There’s no real depth, so they need these two to stay healthy and if not, it gets a little rough at LB.

The secondary is led by CB Denzel Ward, one of the more underrated players in the league.  He rarely gets mentioned with the best CBs but he is one of the better CB1s in football.  The team traded for Tyson Campbell from Jacksonville last season, he’s a bit overpaid but he’s better as a CB2 in Cleveland than being miscast as a CB1 in Jacksonville.  They aren’t deep at CB with Myles Harden set to be the nickel and not much beyond him.  At safety, SS Grant Delpit and FS Ronnie Hickman hold down the starting roles but the team invested a second-round pick on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren this year.  He will be the third guy this year, but he has starter potential sooner or later. 

2025 AFC North Preview

Baltimore Ravens

If you have ever questioned John Harbaugh as a head coach last year should serve as evidence he’s great as a guy overseeing everything.  They had a brain drain on defense with Mike Macdonald leaving to be head coach of the Seahawks, Dennard Wilson leaving to be DC in Tennessee, and Anthony Weaver left to be DC in Miami and others left to join them. Harbaugh promoted Zach Orr and the defense was still great.  Todd Monken has also proven to be an excellent choice as the offensive coordinator. 

Lamar Jackson has been at his best in Todd Monken’s offense and even took another step forward after being awesome the first year in it. Now he’s adding DeAndre Hopkins as another WR to Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.  Flowers proved to be a real weapon last year and for some reason Jackson likes Bateman.  Hopkins isn’t the dominant player he once was but he can still do some things and as the third WR in the offense, he’s pretty good.  TE Mark Andrews should give them a solid season but he may continue to turn over some of the TE reps to Isaiah Likely, who’s a dynamic athlete at the position.  Likely is rehabbing from an injury but he should be back eventually.   

Derrick Henry was awesome in this offense and seems to be ageless.  At 30 years old he ran for over 1900 yards and was a freight train all season.  Between his running ability and what Jackson adds as a running threat at QB, the run game is scary.  The offensive line is also better than the sum of its parts.  LT Ronnie Stanley had a bounce back season after years of injuries and got a new contract and C Tyler Linderbaum is one of the best centers in the game.  Those are the only even above average players individually on the line.  RT Roger Rosengarten was a rookie who was fine. Patrick Makari played guard for most of the year and was fine but he left in free agency and will be replaced.  Daniel Faalele is a monstrous player at RG and Andrew Voorhees or Ben Cleveland will be the LG, either way they should be fine. 

Broderick Washington, Travis Jones, and Nnamdi Madubuike return as the starting defensive line and they are a good unit.  Madubuike didn’t have the dominant pass rushing season last year that he had in 2023 but he’s still an effective player.  Somehow, they got 12.5 sacks out of 33-year-old Kyle Van Noy at OLB, he’s been a miracle for them.  Odafe Oweh got 10 sacks so that helps too but they need more pass rush from one of the younger guys and it’s probably coming from rookie Mike Green.  Off the field issues caused him to drop in the draft but he’s a true talent off the edge and should at least be the third rusher.  ILB Roquan Smith is one of the best in the league.  Trenton Simpson holds down the other ILB spot, they did draft Teddye Buchanan in round four, maybe he helps. 

The secondary has been a strength of the Ravens for years and they are trying to get back to that after last year was a little uneven.  Nate Wiggins was good as a rookie last season at CB.  They signed Jaire Alexander after he was released by Green Bay to take the other outside CB spot, he’s already banged up so that’s not optimal. A healthy Alexander would allow them to play Marlon Humphrey as the nickel.  That moves Humphrey to his best position and allows them to move S Kyle Hamilton all over the defense.  Hamilton is the key to the defense and they don’t want to pigeonhole him.  They also drafted Malaki Starks to give them another good safety and he should be excellent. 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals went 9-8 last year and barely missed the playoffs.  If they get off to a better start than they usually do, they could win this division.  They have basically decided to put all their chips on their offense and hope the defense can be somewhere slightly below average with an incredible offense.  The offense can certainly be a top three unit in the league, getting the defense to be better than the bottom third, that might be a tough task.  Zac Taylor let veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo go and replaced him with Al Golden, he was Notre Dame’s DC last season.  Anarumo had a reputation for not developing the young players while Golden has been working in college for a while so they hope he can do better. 

The offense is called by head coach Zac Taylor but it belongs to QB Joe Burrow.  Taylor did a nice job adjusting the offense when Burrow was hurt last season but they need Burrow to make this unit dominant.  They spent a ton of money this off season to give Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins huge contract extensions to keep the best WR duo in the league together with Burrow.  Chase is arguably the best WR in the NFL (it’s him and Justin Jefferson is a steel cage match for that spot).  Higgins is the best WR2 in the league because he’s really just a WR1 playing alongside Chase.  They are a perfect complementary pair and Burrow is the perfect QB for them.  WR Andrei Iosivas, WR Jermaine Burton, WR Charlie Jones, and TE Mike Gesicki can all fight for the leftover passes but there’s not a ton to go around. 

The run game is an afterthought for the most part but they did look to improve the interior of the offensive line which should help them be more efficient.  RB Chase Brown emerged last season as a viable playmaker with Zack Moss fading into the background and now off the roster.  They have giant OTs in LT Orlando Brown Jr. and RT Amarius Mims.  Brown is solid while Mims should be ascending.  C Ted Karras is solid but he was working with some less than stellar guys inside.  The team signed Lucas Patrick from the Saints and drafted Dylan Fairchild and they beat out Cordell Volson and Cody Ford for the starting OG jobs.  If the line is better, the running game gets better and the offense might be unstoppable at that point.  Chase Brown is an under appreciated runner and he should carry the load. 

The defense is a work in progress and that’s putting it lightly.  They finally gave DE Trey Hendrickson a raise for the year but there are going to be some hurt feelings over him not getting an extension.  They also had a contract dispute with first-round pick DE Shemar Stewart who finally signed and lucky for them he did because he’s looked good early, they need him.  They don’t want to count on the rest of the roster at DE.  DT was abysmal last season so they signed TJ Slaton and he looks considerably better than Sheldon Rankins was last year.  BJ Hill is a good DT but he’s coming off an injury. They need Kris Jenkins Jr. or McKinley Jackson to step up. 

At LB, the team released stalwart Germaine Pratt because he was unhappy with the team (there’s a theme here) and are replacing him with second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr.  Knight is an athletic player who’s a bit raw and it’s going to be a transition.  They really only play two LBs so Logan Wilson is the veteran at the MLB spot and they need him to have a much better year.  Teams generally play in the nickel with two LBs when they have a very good secondary with top talent, that’s not actually the case here.  They aren’t stacked in the secondary but the LB corps isn’t great either. 

The Bengals have Cam Taylor-Britt as their CB1 with the hope that Dax Hill returns from injury and DJ Turner II steps up at the other spot.  None of these guys have proven to be top-level players and Hill and Turner are generally considered disappointments.  Hill started to play better at the beginning of last season and then got hurt, that’s how it goes for the Bengals.  At safety, Jordan Battle stepped in as rookie and was decent and they are hoping Geno Stone rebounds from a pretty awful first season with the team last year after he signed as a free agent.  Beyond those two, they are bad at safety.  At least at CB they could maybe hope Josh Newton progresses. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin is back and so are OC Arthur Smith and DC Teryl Austin so it must have been a pretty uneventful off season in Pittsburgh.  Or not.  The Justin Fields/Russell Wilson era only lasted one season and if that wasn’t crazy enough for Tomlin, welcome to the Aaron Rodgers experience.  The Steelers won 10 games and made the playoffs last season but getting beat in the wildcard game by their division nemesis Baltimore Ravens wasn’t good enough.  They moved on from Wilson and Fields.

Aaron Rodgers was terrible for most of last year for the Jets after returning from his Achilles injury and he looked disinterested most of the time.  He made the Steelers wait until June before he signed a contract but he was there for minicamp so that’s a start.  I’m not sure he has anything left but watching a few of his games at the end of last year, the arm is still there, even if the desire isn’t.  Arthur Smith will have to try to get Rodgers to play his style of football, it’s not a great match.  Rodgers prefers being the shotgun, Smith is more of an under center kind of guy.  They traded George Pickens away, you could say they traded away talent or they traded away a headache, both are true.  They also traded for DK Metcalf and gave him a massive contract to be their WR1.  He’s less of a headcase than Pickens even if he’s not the most consistent player.  They are putting a lot of eggs in the Roman Wilson basket as their WR2 because it’s him and Calvin Austin III and that’s basically it. They even cut Robert Woods at the end of training camp and he was the veteran body they had.  Perhaps the find a late trade or grab someone off the waiver wire.  They have TE Pat Freiermuth, a good player, and traded for Jonnu Smith right before training camp, he’s an Arthur Smith favorite.  It’s going to be interesting to see if they can squeeze any type of production out of Rodgers and these pass catchers. 

The best thing they have going for them is the potential of the running game.  They have a young, talented, intriguing offensive line and two RBs who could be a dynamic duo.  Jaylen Warren is a talented RB but everyone was wondering if he could be a #1 guy when they lost Najee Harris.  No worries, they drafted Kaleb Johnson and he’s built to be the RB1 for this offense.  He’s the perfect fit in Smith’s preferred outside zone scheme.  Johnson is also 6’1 230 lbs. and while he has great size to handle the load like Harris did, he also has homerun ability as a runner, that’s something Harris never had.  The offensive line is counting on Broderick Jones figuring out how to be a LT and not sucking and they need Troy Fautanu to be the RT after he missed his entire rookie season.  LG Isaac Seumalo, C Zach Frazier, and RG Mason McCormick should be a solid trio inside. 

One of the big reasons the Steelers went for Rodgers at QB is because they don’t have time to waste with this defense.  They have aging players at every level and need to strike while they are still able to do so.  DE Cameron Heyward is a Steelers legend but he’s 36 and can’t play forever.  They drafted Derrick Harmon to play opposite him and eventually replace him, he’s good but he had a late injury in training camp so he won’t be available to start the season.  Keanu Benton hasn’t progressed like they would hope but he’s solid.  NT Yahya Black is a guy to keep an eye on up front.  The pass rush comes from OLBs TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith.  They just gave Watt a big extension and Highsmith is an emerging talent.  ILB Patrick Queen hasn’t been as good as he was in Baltimore but he’s not bad.  They’re hoping Payton Wilson can be the other ILB this year. 

The secondary got some new old blood and they are hoping that helps.  They have needed a CB2 opposite Joey Porter Jr. since they drafted Porter Jr. a couple years ago.  They signed Darius Slay who is 34 and coming off winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia.  He can still play and he’s an upgrade for them but the cliff could come at any time.  They made the late off season trade to get Jalen Ramsey and he’s their nickel guy and can play some safety.  He can still play outside CB but with Porter and Slay they hope they don’t need him there.  They gave up S Minkah Fitzpatrick in the Ramsey deal and while he was one of their most talented defenders, he’s a guy who was often caught freelancing and out of position.  Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliot are not as talented as Fitzpatrick but the hope is they are more consistent in their assignments.  Ramsey is the new chess piece to move around so overall the secondary should be better. 

Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski is actually a good coach and for his sake, I hope he gets fired next off season and gets to go to a franchise that isn’t a dumpster fire.  The Browns are in the middle of spending $230 million guaranteed on a QB who has a twice torn Achilles and who they would prefer to pretend doesn’t exist.  They brought in four QBs to try to replace Deshaun Watson with no guarantee any of them can.  And they are counting on a running game to save them but their offensive line is aging and injured and their new RB just got arrested for domestic violence.  This could only be the Browns. 

Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shadeur Sanders were going to stage a 4-way battle for the starting job but it didn’t materialize.  Pickett got hurt early, didn’t play, and then got traded to the Raiders.  Gabriel and Sanders never gave the Browns a reason to think they could be the starter.  So, Joe Flacco gets the job by default; he was always going to be the week one starter.  WR Jerry Jeudy had a solid year last year and I actually like Cedric Tillman as their X receiver.  They don’t have much else at WR so Jeudy and Tillman should get plenty of targets. TE David Njoku is a very good player.  The passing game will likely be inconsequential but they hope it’s at least functional.   

The running game is also in flux with the arrest of Quinshon Judkins just before training camp.  They were counting on him being the guy to replace Nick Chubb, but he still hasn’t signed with the team.  For now, they will have to go back to using Jerome Ford and their other rookie Dylan Sampson will have to pick up the slack.  The offensive line also presents issues.  Dawand Jones is set to be the LT and he’s not really a LT, that’s not great.  The interior of the line didn’t play well last year and Joel Bitonio will be 34, Ethan Pocic will be 30, and Wyatt Teller will be 31, generally offensive linemen don’t get better or healthier as they age past 30.  RT Jack Conklin will also be 31and has a rough injury history.  They don’t have a ton of depth and things could go bad quickly. Joe Flacco behind a suspect offensive line is not a great combination.   

If you told me the defense rebounds this season and plays great, I wouldn’t be shocked.  DE Myles Garrett is one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL.  He’s one of those guys offensive coordinator must have a plan for.  They signed veteran DT Maliek Collins and while he’s not a game changer, he’s a solid player.  They traded down in the draft and still got DT Mason Graham who can be a game changer.  He’s arguably going to be the most talented defensive lineman Myles Garrett has played with.  The other DE sport is either Alex Wright or Isaiah McGuire for now but they have to be looking to bring someone in. 

The LB group will be missing Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for this season and possibly for good.  He had a neck injury that took him out in week nine last year and is already ruled out for this year, his career is potentially over.  It’s too bad, he was very good player for them and they will miss him.  They drafted Carson Schwesinger in round two of the draft and he’s the starter in place of JOK.  Jordan Hicks announced his retirement before camp leaving the other LB spot open to competition.  Mohamoud Diabate seems to have won that competition. 

They use five defensive backs and given their LB corps, that’s not the worst idea.  They are talented in secondary and they just need to stay healthy.  CB Denzel Ward is a real CB1 when he’s on the field.  Martin Emerson was an excellent CB2 but he’s out for the season and that hurts.  Greg Newsome II now has to step up from the slot CB to be the other outside guy, that’s not ideal but he should be fine.  SS Grant Delpit and FS Ronnie Hickman have their limitations but are a solid safety duo.      

2025 AFC North Draft Review

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.