A team's success in the draft is important regardless of what division they play it, but when it's a division that is home to the Super Bowl champions, keeping up is even more important. That's the task for the teams in the AFC North this season.
Will Pittsburgh be able to reclaim their domination of the division, or will it be Cincinatti that challenges Baltimore? Can Cleveland continue building in the right direction? All of that well depend somewhat on how their 2013 draft classes pan out. What should fans expect out of these classes?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick Player
1.17 Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
2.16 Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan St
3.17 Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon St
4.14 Shamarko Thomas, S, Syracuse
4.18 Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
5.17 Terry Hawthorne, CB, Illinois
6.18 Justin Brown, WR, Oklahoma
6.38 Vince Williams, ILB, Florida St
7.17 Nick Williams, DT, Samford
Analysis: The Steelers waited patiently at the 17th slot in the first round to draft Jarvis Jones whom many had predicted they would for obvious reasons. Jones is arguably this draft’s best pass rusher and should step in from day one in place of the departed James Harrison.
Le’Veon Bell was maybe taken too high as he would have likely been available later on Friday night but he’ll compete for the starting job. On the hoof, he looks like a classic Steeler power back but the reality is that he’s a slow starter who doesn’t initiate contact like a true power back does. Eddie Lacy is more talented and looked like the better fit but a big toe injury may have been too worrisome for the Steelers.
Oregon State receiver Markus Wheaton will be asked to do many of the things Mike Wallace did before he left for the Dolphins. Wheaton is another speedster who has a very similar skill set as Wallace and may even be more developed as a route runner coming out of college. Shamarko Thomas will add depth as a hard-hitting safety and quarterback Landry Jones will provide depth behind Ben Roethlisberger who endures his share of bruises each season. Florida State’s Vince Williams is a thumper who was a nice value pickup toward the end of the draft.
Overall, the Steelers picked up enough guys who will see plenty of significant playing time early, earning themselves a B.
Cincinnati Bengals
Pick Player
1.21 Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
2.5 Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
2.21 Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
3.22 Shawn Williams, S, Georgia
4.21 Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M
5.23 Tanner Hawkinson, OT, Kansas
6.22 Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska
6.29 Cobi Hamilton, WR, Arkansas
7.34 Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio St
7.45 TJ Johnson, OC, South Carolina
Analysis: The Bengals strategy was that of a team that felt it was a few big plays from being a true contender in the 2012 season. They are “all-in” on Andy Dalton and they surrounded him with two dynamic playmakers ranked tops at their positions by Optimum Scouting. Tyler Eifert was the top tight end in the draft and he should complement Jermaine Gresham very nicely as a receiver underneath or on the seams. Giovani Bernard is a talented pass catcher out of the backfield and will bring an explosive element to their run game.
Margus Hunt has a ton of upside and the Bengals have had success with the development of Michael Johnson, their 6-7 defensive end. Taylor Mays has yet to prove he’s more than just an athlete so he’ll have to fend off safety Shawn Williams who will be competing for his starting spot. Sean Porter is a chase linebacker who should add depth on the weakside.
They added some offensive line depth toward the end of the draft, most notably Tanner Hawkinson who is a nice developmental prospect. Cobi Hamilton is an excellent athlete who had a very productive year in 2012 but he has a ton of competition in a crowded receiving corps.
The Bengals are on the offensive, countering a traditionally defensive-minded AFC North while also addressing their own defensive needs. They earned an A.
Cleveland Browns
Pick Player
1.6 Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU
3.6 Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego St
6.7 Jamoris Slaughter, S, Notre Dame
7.11 Armonty Bryant, DE, East Central (OK)
7.21 Garrett Gilkey, OT, Chadron St
Analysis: The Browns only had five picks in the draft as a result of transactions that landed them receivers Josh Gordon and Davone Bess to a talent-starved receiving group. These pick ups should be noted when assessing the success of their draft, especially after a promising rookie year for Gordon and the productive career Bess has enjoyed from the slot.
Barkevious Mingo has tremendous natural abilities and upside as an edge rusher but they already paid Paul Kruger quite a bit to fill that open spot in the offseason. Jabal Sheard mans the other side so it’s odd that a team with so few picks wouldn’t choose a top talent that addresses any one of their other needs. San Diego State’s Leon McFadden will be competing with an improved Buster Skrine for the second corner spot, but McFadden has a better skill set. He’ll likely contribute early in slot coverage.
Notre Dame safety Jamoris Slaughter brings some versatility to the Browns defense and Garrett Gilkey is strictly a developmental guy. Armonty Bryant could end up being a nice pickup late if he stays out of trouble.
Even including the two receiver acquisitions, the Browns failed to pick up any elite talent. Mingo is the closest to that status and he may not be a clear-cut starter until down the road. They end up with a C-.
Baltimore Ravens
Pick Player
1.32 Matt Elam, S, Florida
2.24 Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas St
3.32 Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern St
4.32 John Simon, DE, Ohio St
4.33 Kyle Juszczyk, FB, Harvard
5.35 Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin
6.32 Kapron Lewis-Moore, DE, Notre Dame
6.35 Ryan Jensen, OT, Colorado State-Pueblo
7.32 Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon
7.41 Marc Anthony, CB, Cal
Analysis: It’s tough to find a player in this Ravens’ draft class that won’t have an immediate impact of some degree, especially from the top half of the draft. Even more impressive is that they did this while picking toward the bottom of every round. Safety Matt Elam has made some big time plays against big time competition and should be a day one starter with Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard gone. But Johnathan Cyprien was still on the board and he grades out as a much better prospect.
The Ravens may have had the steal of the draft in Kansas State’s Arthur Brown, especially when you consider the glaring need at inside linebacker after the retirement of Ray Lewis. Brown immediately upgrades that position with his abilities in coverage as well as his toughness in run support.
Defensive tackle Brandon Williams dominated against small school competition and should compete with Terrence Cody, who still deals with weight issues and overall inconsistency. John Simon is a high motor competitor whom coaches will love, but he lacks a true position and is limited athletically. Kyle Juszczyk was the first of three fullbacks taken in the draft and will give the Ravens a more versatile athlete from that position.
Ricky Wagner fits the Ravens’ mold of the size/strength right tackle who excels in the run game. They also added developmental prospect, Ryan Jensen for more offensive tackle depth. Aaron Mellette joins a very young group of wide receivers and could emerge as a late round steal if he develops with NFL coaching. Marc Anthony will likely contribute on special teams early.
The Ravens lost two Hall of Fame players and immediately replaced them with two day one impact players. In addition, they strengthened the depth of other units with question marks. They earned an A.
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